


The Untold Stories Of Us

by moviegeek120



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:14:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22243159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moviegeek120/pseuds/moviegeek120
Summary: My version of the things we didn't get to see of Penelope and Josie on the show. The beginnings, the highs&lows, as well as the downfall and aftermath.
Relationships: Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 25
Kudos: 120





	1. The Beginnings

_The large study hall of the Salvatore School was filled with students chatting away, while all Josie wanted to do was have some peace and quiet. That turned out to be impossible because Lizzie was feeling particularly chatty today. Not that Josie didn’t enjoy her twin sister’s conversation, but the brunette hadn’t had a lot of sleep and couldn’t focus on her sister’s newest rant._

_In fact, she caught herself zoning out, not even really listening to the words that were coming in her diction nonstop. It wasn’t the nicest thing to do but Josie knew her sister well enough to know that it wasn’t earthshattering important news what Lizzie was complaining about._

_However, she reengaged into the conversation and looked up from her book, facing her blonde twin sitting next to her on the comfortable couch when she heard a somewhat familiar voice._

_“Hey Jojo.”_

_The big, brown eyes looked and saw Penelope Park walking, uttering those surprising words. Josie was stunned but reacted as best as she could._

_“H-Hi,” she replied before the girl wearing a darker version of their school uniform passed them completely._

_“What the hell was that?” Lizzie scoffed obviously just as surprised. “Why is Penelope Park talking to you?”_

_“She just said Hi,” Josie downplayed their quick exchange when it was unusual indeed._

_“She called you_ Jojo _,” Lizzie emphasized the nickname which Josie had never heard before either. “And why is she staring at you now?” The taller sister added, making Josie turn around to find a pair of hazel eyes definitely meeting hers before quickly turning back around._

_“Don’t get me wrong,” Lizzie locked eyes with her twin again. “Penelope is cute. She’s popular and a witch so she wouldn’t be a bad catch if she wasn’t you know, evil.”_

_“What makes you say that?” Josie wondered._

_“Oh please, dearest sister. Everyone knows she’s devious.”_

_“Maybe she’s just confident and doesn’t apologize for what she wants,” the brunette countered to her own surprise._

_“Do you like her?” The shock and slight disdain were distinguishable in Lizzie’s voice._

_“No,” Josie shrugged lightly. “I don’t know her. That’s why I don’t want to make a judgment call.”_

_“Which is exactly why someone like Penelope Park would you eat you alive,” the blonde girl tried to argue her point._

_“Let’s just go to class,” Josie suggested, not interested in deepening the conversation when there was no need for it. In her head, there was no way Penelope would become a topic again since it was a simple greeting nothing more._

_As they got up, Josie couldn’t help but look back once more to find that the raven-haired girl was gone. Just as Josie expected. They all had the same class next, but their interaction had always been minimal. Penelope had a bigger circle of friends whereas Josie spent most of her time with Lizzie._

_Taking her usual seat next to her twin, she heard some mumblings in the classroom but couldn’t figure out why._

_“Hello again,” the same, smooth voice that had greeted her just a few minutes ago reappeared as Josie whipped around to see Penelope taking the seat to her right._

_“Hey,” she returned slightly confused. Lizzie was to her left and rolled her eyes. Alicia, who was usually sitting to Josie’s right came up to them, but when seeing Penelope in her seat, didn’t say a word and simply switched seats. It was clear that the young witch with long, dark locks had a certain power that went beyond magic._

_“You don’t mind, right?” Penelope asked with a little smirk on her lips._

_“No,” Josie answered honestly. “Why the change though?” She questioned carefully._

_“Why not?”_

_“There isn’t a reason why you’re changing seats in the middle of semester?” Josie found herself intrigued and smiled gently._

_“Oh, I always have a reason,” Penelope said mysteriously and offered a more wicked version of a smile._

_“You…want to be closer to the blackboard?” The brunette girl took a guess._

_“No, my eyesight is perfect,” Penelope responded and focused the piercing, hazel eyes intently on Josie’s, making the twin’s heart beat a little quicker than before. “But I do want to be closer.”_

_Josie’ heartrate was definitely kicking into a new gear now. Although her mind told her that there was no way that Penelope was flirting with her, her body couldn’t fight the reaction. The brown eyes went wide, and her mouth went dry while being stared down intensely. However, the was a soft smile on Penelope’s lips that made the exchange more tender than expected._

_“Good morning, Penelope,” Lizzie interrupted, clearly annoyed and trying to break up the conversation._

_“Good morning, Lizzie,” Penelope replied sweetly and tore her eyes off Josie. “How are you?”_

_“Just wonderful,” the sarcasm was thick in her answer._

_“So happy to hear that.”_

_Josie felt the tension sitting in between the two of them and was relieved to hear the teacher starting to talk. Facing him, she tried to gather her thoughts but couldn’t shake the feeling of excitement whenever she dared to sit back and steal a little glance to her right. It wasn’t until the class was over that she locked eyes with Penelope again._

_“See you tomorrow, Jojo,” the dark-haired witch smiled._

_“It’ Josie,” Lizzie cut in harshly this time and earned a disapproving look from her twin._

_“See you, Penelope,” Josie made sure to let the other student know that she wasn’t agreeing with Lizzie by ignoring the rude comment and returning a warm smile. As soon as she was gone, Josie faced her sister. “Can you please stop? I don’t know what your vendetta against her is, but I don’t want to spend the rest of the semester being sandwiched in between your snarky comments.”_

_“She’s totally playing you,” Lizzie shook her head._

_“I don’t want to argue about this,” Josie sighed loudly. “Who cares if she’s being nice to me? We had one conversation and I’m sure that’s all there is to it.”_

_“If you say so,” the blonde was obviously not convinced but agreed not argue which was fine by Josie._

_-_

_The next morning, Josie was sitting in the same seat as yesterday and even though the rational part of her attempted to take over, there was a little part of her that couldn’t wait for Penelope to arrive. Perhaps it was silly and even a bit naïve, but she couldn’t fight it. She had even decided to wear a little makeup today and had spent more time getting ready for class than ever before._

_It wasn’t every day for Josie that someone took an interest in her, no matter how minor it would be to someone else. Although she would never say it out loud, she felt overlooked a lot of the time. She had accepted the fact that Lizzie was the more visible twin, but it felt nice to be noticed. Even if it was just a greeting, a little smile or a new nickname._

_“Good morning, Jojo.” Suddenly torn from her thoughts, she looked up and saw Penelope approaching her confidently as always. “Good morning, Lizzie,” she added in a friendly tone and showed civility by greeting both of them._

_“Morning,” the blonde mumbled but didn’t look up from her notebook._

_“Good morning,” Josie returned and watched as Penelope sat down next to her. The slightly older girl was wearing her signature cape with the school logo that must have been custom made. No one else had one. It was the epitome of why Penelope stood out and there was an admiration on Josie’s end for that kind of self-assurance._

_She didn’t notice that she was staring at the girl next to her until her eyes met the hazel ones. Shifting uncomfortably, Josie felt busted._

_“You look particularly beautiful today.”_

_Josie gulped. Not only were those words flattering coming from anyone, the way Penelope said them in such a natural, genuine and comfortable voice, sprinkled with a hint of flirtation was enough to make Josie’s mind go blank. All she was able to do was laugh it off mildly._

_“Thanks,” she finally got out at least one word. “Something different.”_

_“Different looks good on you, too,” Penelope replied. “Are you wearing blush today or is that just your reaction to me relentlessly complimenting you?”_

_“Both,” Josie giggled mildly and felt her cheeks burning up even more._

_“You can’t say more than two words today?” The darker-haired girl was clearly amused which was evidenced by the grin on her face._

_“I guess, I’m not used to it,” Josie explained her reaction before finally looking at Penelope again because she had regained her composure; not all of it but most of it._

_“The makeup or the compliments?” Penelope asked._

_“Again, both.”_

_“I can help you with the latter,” she offered with a smirk. “I have no problem pointing out how gorgeous you are any chance I get. Maybe that will help with getting used to it.”_

_“Like exposure therapy,” Josie countered quickly and chuckled._

_“Exactly,” Penelope was clearly enjoying the banter and chuckled as well. “I’m just doing my part as a good citizen. Helping everywhere I can.”_

_“Not all superheroes wear capes, but in your case, they do,” Josie managed to make another witty remark and felt her heart jump when Penelope laughed joyfully._

_“Touché, Jojo,” Penelope acknowledged the smart comeback and there was blatant admiration in the hazel eyes._

_The conversation ended there because class was starting but it was best to end on a high note. Whatever was happening between her and Penelope, Josie couldn’t deny that it felt good. Unfortunately, they didn’t have class together the next day. It was strange, but Josie was already missing it. She wouldn’t mind going to more class if that meant more interaction with Penelope._

_Her wish was about to be granted when she heard: “Hey Jojo. Hi Lizzie.”_

_They were sitting at lunch when Penelope joined their table, to the obvious dismay of the blonde twin._

_“How are you, girls? Are you excited for the funfair this weekend?”_

_“Oh, cut the crap, Penelope,” Lizzie said annoyed before Josie was able to say anything._

_“Excuse me?”_

_“What do you want from Josie?” Lizzie blurted out. “We all know you always have an ulterior motive so spit it out. Because I can’t handle you being all over her just to get what you want. Do you need a favor from our Dad? Or help with some twisted dark magic?”_

_“Maybe you can’t understand that concept, but I just want to be nice to your twin sister?” Penelope returned with a little dig._

_“Bullshit.”_

_“You said, you always have a reason,” Josie interjected quietly and saw both pair of lighter eyes focusing on her. Maybe she shouldn’t but believing Lizzie was all she had ever done. There had to be a reason why Lizzie was so against this, right? And Penelope had admitted to always having a motivation behind her actions. While Josie enjoyed spending time with her, she didn’t want to end up being used._

_“You want the reason?” Penelope asked surprisingly and Josie nodded. “I wanted to talk to you because I wanted to see if you’d be willing to go on a date with me?”_

_Josie could feel her jaw noticeably dropping a bit. Even Lizzie was silent now. Granted, Josie had felt a little flirtatious vibe, but Penelope flirted with everyone. She hadn’t allowed herself to believe that there was genuine interest because…why would there be? No one had ever taken a romantic interested in Josie. Especially not when they also knew Lizzie. Josie was speechless._

_“It’s totally okay if you’re not into that-“ Penelope said because Josie wasn’t responding._

_“No, I’m into it,” Josie blurted out, making the other witch chuckle. “I mean…I would…go on a date with you.”_

_“How about we go to the funfair tomorrow? I’ll pick you up at six?” The girl with hazel eyes didn’t hesitate and smiled contently._

_“Okay,” was all Josie was able to say but reciprocated the smile._

_“Okay,” Penelope repeated with a nod. “See you then, Jojo.”_

_And just like that, she disappeared again, leaving Josie completely stunned. What had just happened? Had she just agreed to go on her first date ever? With Penelope Park? Someone she never would have imagined even knew who she was? Still, with all the nerves already acting up, she couldn’t stop smiling. Until she looked up and saw her twin sister’s disapproving look. Even though Lizzie didn’t say anything, it was obvious that she wasn’t thrilled about this._

_Josie hated conflict; especially between her and Lizzie. She was hoping that the two of them could sort it out soon._

_-_

_For the past two hours, Josie had been debating cancelling the entire date. She was nervous. What if she ended up making a fool of herself? Too many horror scenarios of things that could go wrong were running through her mind. It wasn’t until Lizzie finally snapped out of her mood and agreed to help Josie get ready that she felt better. Having the support of her twin meant everything._

_Although Lizzie was still skeptical, she didn’t want Josie’s first date ever to fail. It was a milestone in a teen’s life and while the blonde could be selfish, she genuinely wanted the best for her sister. So, they talked and managed to get Josie ready to where she felt comfortable. She didn’t want to get too dolled up, but she enjoyed making an effort to look and feel good._

_Plus, the funfair wasn’t the place to overdo it. Perhaps there would be other occasions where she would be able to do it. Josie started daydreaming about school dances while actually having a date – and that date being Penelope. The thought alone made her heart race. She was a romantic at heart and all the cheesy notions people had about teenage love were still foreign but exciting to her._

_They heard a knock on the door and Josie took a deep breath, knowing it was Penelope who was on time to pick her up. She walked up to the door and found her fellow Salvatore School student greeting her with the warmest smile._

_“Hi Jojo,” she said gently._

_“Hey,” Josie replied quietly and admired the girl in front of her._

_Obviously, Josie hadn’t been the only one who had made an effort. Penelope always wore makeup at school, but she had accentuated her eyes more than usual, making them even more striking. Her hair was flowing in long waves falling over her shoulders. It was strange to see Penelope not in her uniform but casual clothes. Black boots, matching skinny jeans, T-Shirt and blue denim jacket almost made her look like a different person._

_“Wow, you look amazing,” Penelope suddenly uttered the words that had been on her mind._

_Josie had straightened her hair and gone with an outfit that she felt comfortable but confident in. She wore her favorite dress that wasn’t too fancy. The warm crème color with red stripes was definitely a contrast to Penelope’s look but she didn’t seem to mind at all._

_“So, do you,” Josie offered immediately._

_“Have her home by curfew,” Lizzie opened up the door more so she could see Penelope but put on a smile this time. “Have fun,” she said genuinely much to Josie’s delight._

_“Thank you,” Penelope answered just as sincerely. “And don’t worry. I’ll have her back by then.”_

_Astonishingly, it was very easy and not awkward at all. Josie’s fear of messing up had been completely unfounded. Penelope was a great conversationalist and they were able to talk effortlessly. For the most part it wasn’t too deep, but it was a first date and neither seemed to mind the careless and fun atmosphere they had going._

_The funfair had several things to offer but Josie pointed out that she wasn’t good with rides that entailed too much motion – which was basically every ride. They ended playing games and eating candy while enjoying the other one’s company. Everything else didn’t matter._

_They were playing a game where you had to throw the ball and knock out several cans. Most people failed and there was clearly something that wasn’t completely fair. Josie had already thrown two balls and barely hit anything. As Penelope handed her the last ball, she could feel the difference without siphoning it, the magic was that palpable. She realized that the dark-haired witch was possibly a lot more powerful than she had expected._

_Throwing the ball, all the cans dropped in a way that wasn’t natural. She won a teddy bear and accepted the prize so it wouldn’t be obvious but as soon as they were out of earshot, Josie spoke up._

_“Why did you do that?” She asked. “You know we’re not supposed to use our powers in public.”_

_“Come on. Those games are rigged and unfair anyway,” Penelope responded with a shrug. “It’s not like I’m ripping off innocent people. Plus, I really wanted you to have that teddy bear,” she added sweetly._

_“Maybe so, but there is a no exposure policy and I don’t want anyone to get suspicious. My dad worked too hard for the school,” the siphon-witch sighed._

_“I’m sorry,” Penelope instantly regretted her decision when she saw how worried Josie was. The mood had changed and that had been the least thing Penelope had wanted. “You’re right. If I would have known how strongly you felt about it, I never would have done it. But I should have known, and I won’t do it again.”_

_Looking at Penelope, Josie could tell she was being sincere. Therefore, she didn’t see a need to continue the upset and smiled at her date._

_“Maybe Lizzie was right about something she said,” Josie responded quietly._

_“That I’m a bad influence?” The expression on Penelope’s face revealed disappointment. Disappointment of letting Josie down and perhaps living down to the expectation others had of her. It was the first time that Josie saw a little crack of vulnerability._

_“No,” the younger girl quickly shook her head. “That you are very persuasive,” she clarified while her lips formed a shy smile to reassure the other witch that they were okay._

_“Am I?” Penelope’s face lit up again._

_“It makes me wonder if…you couldn’t be persuasive with other people as well,” Josie voiced and part of her was surprised how honest she was about her concerns with Penelope. She wasn’t the most direct person but there was a sense of comfortability that allowed her to open up. And apparently Penelope immediately understood what the concern was._

_“Maybe I could,” Penelope said but made sure to lock eyes with Josie for the next part. “But I don’t want to. I’m here with you and there is no one else I’d want to be here with. I know I shouldn’t be saying it this early, but I really like you, Josie. You’re smart, witty, kind, gifted, powerful, stunning obviously and probably the most interesting person in that school. The craziest part is that you have no clue how special you are. But I’m determined to make you realize how incredible you are. If that’s all that comes of this, then I’m okay with that. Persuasive or not, I don’t ever want you feel like I’m pressuring you into something that isn’t what you truly want. I know what I want; to be here with you and see where it goes. Nowhere else with no one else.”_

_Once more, the twin found herself rendered speechless by how open and honest Penelope was. All the little doubts that may had been planted by Lizzie and the reputation Penelope held were diminishing with every second they spent together. The part of Josie that couldn’t understand why the other witch had chosen her of all people, wasn’t stronger than the part of her that genuinely believed what Penelope was saying. She had no reason not to believe her._

_“You realize you just made my point about you being persuasive, right?” Josie teased at first and saw Penelope smiling. “But…I want to be here too. With you. And you’re not pressuring me at all. I’m sorry if I got too upset before- “_

_“No, don’t apologize,” Penelope interrupted gently. “I’m glad you told me that something was bothering you. I just hope you accept my apology.”_

_“I already have,” the girl with light brown hair gave back softly. “But I might have thought of something that I truly want.”_

_“I’m all ears,” Penelope’s excitement was evident._

_“I um…I want you to hold my hand,” Josie surprised herself with that request but her approach of being honest about her wants and needs paid off with Penelope. Not only that, she genuinely felt great voicing her true desires and getting a positive response from someone who seemed endlessly supportive._

_“Let’s go, Jojo,” Penelope smiled widely and offered her hand. Without hesitating, Josie took the other girls’ hand and felt butterflies all over stomach by the simple touch of their fingers intertwining._

_“Why Jojo, though?” She asked with amusement as they began walking hand in hand._

_“You don’t like it?”_

_“I do,” Josie admitted. “No one has ever called me that before.”_

_“I had to get your attention somehow,” Penelope revealed with a smirk._

_“Right,” Josie laughed. “Like you need any more attention,” she continued teasing._

_“I wasn’t getting it from the person that I wanted to get it from,” the girl wearing a denim jacket countered._

_“How could I have known that you wanted to peak my interested of all people,” Josie explained her side of things._

_“The sooner you realize how special you are, the quicker you’ll understand where I’m coming from,” Penelope answered smiling._

_This time Josie didn’t argue. Maybe she didn’t understand yet, but Penelope’s insistence on Josie being special in her eyes was enough for now._

_They could have spent all night talking, holding hands and having fun, but the curfew was approaching too fast for either of their liking. Nonetheless, Penelope didn’t want to prove Lizzie right by getting Josie into trouble and made sure they were back in time. Still holding hands, they approached the door to Josie’s room. The younger one could feel her heart beating faster by the second. Coming to a stop in front of her room, she recalled the endless romantic movies where the couple always ended up kissing goodnight._

_For the first time she wished she wasn’t holding Penelope’s hand because she was afraid of her palm sweating. Facing her date of the night, Josie’s pulse was going through the roof. She saw Penelope’s eyes focusing on her lips for a millisecond before coming back up to meet her gaze._

_“I had a lot of fun,” Penelope spoke up quietly, almost whispering._

_“Me too,” Josie concurred with a nod, terribly nervous of doing the wrong thing and possibly messing up one of the best nights of her life at the end._

_“We should do it again. Soon,” Penelope added and saw Josie only nodding, unable to say anything else._

_Josie saw Penelope coming closer and her heart must have skipped a beat. Just before closing her eyes, she noticed the other girl tilted her head slightly. Next thing she knew, she felt a pair of soft lips kissing her cheek with such tenderness that she could have melted right there. It was over too quickly but Josie was overcome with a sensation of warmth that wasn’t just physical. Opening her eyes again to see the hazel-colored ones filled with affection was almost too much to handle._

_“Goodnight, Jojo,” Penelope whispered with a little smile._

_“Goodnight,” Josie returned barely audible before watching the other student walk off._

_Taking a very deep breath, she unlocked the door and walked inside. Lizzie wasn’t there but Josie didn’t even notice. The brunette twin let herself fall onto her bed, smiling from ear to ear because she couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened tonight._

_“You’re back!” Lizzie startled her sister, barging into the room, massaging the rest of her moisturizer into her fair skin. “You look…happy. How was it?” She made an effort to be open-minded and sat down on the edge of Josie’s bed._

_“Honestly,” Josie took another deep breath. “It was really good.”_

_“Please don’t tell me she felt you up,” Lizzie couldn’t hide her preconceived notions for too long._

_“What? No!” Josie immediately protested. “She was very sweet, actually.”_

_“Sweet?” The blonde repeated in disbelief._

_“Yes, sweet. We talked a lot, played some games, ate candy and held hands. She gave me a kiss on the cheek but that was it,” Josie didn’t keep secrets from Lizzie and happily divulged the information._

_“That’s…surprising.”_

_“Once you get to know her more, I’m sure you’re going to like her too,” the overjoyed girl suggested. “She’s not at all what people perceive her to be. There is this genuine quality to her that…is hard to explain. When she says something, you can’t help but take it in because there is such conviction in it. And she’s so smart and can basically talk about any topic. But she can be playful too- “_

_“Oh, dear God,” Lizzie interrupted with a loud sigh._

_“What?” Josie looked at her sister confused._

_“You’re falling for Penelope Park,” the blonde said and while Josie’s first instinct was to argue, she couldn’t. The sheer elation of the night was still too strong to do anything other than smile. “Fine,” Lizzie groaned. “Anyone who can make my sister smile like that, gets a fair shot from me.”_

_Josie hugged Lizzie, pushing her on the bed with them laughing._

_“But if she hurts you-“ Lizzie wanted to get in but found her twin using her hand to cover Lizzie’s mouth. Nodding gently, she agreed to keep the negative thoughts and comments to herself. After all, Josie hadn’t looked this happy in a while; maybe ever._

_-_

_After a seemingly perfect first date on Friday, Josie didn’t hear from Penelope the next day. The brunette didn’t want to be overbearing but it was unusual that Penelope was nowhere to be found at school either. Although it was the weekend, most students spent their time on school grounds because it was the only place where they could be themselves._

_Another day passed without any signs of the dark-haired witch; Josie began to wonder if something had happened. She gathered all of her courage and asked some of Penelope’s friends if they had seen her. None of them gave her a real answer. It was almost like Penelope had instructed them not to say anything. The doubts that had disappeared after their date were beginning to creep up again. Why was she avoiding Josie?_

_Josie walked past Penelope’s room and contemplated simply going in. She had never been to her room and wasn’t sure she wanted the truth at this point. What if Lizzie had been right and all Penelope wanted was to make sure she could persuade Josie into going out with her for her own ego purposes? Still standing in front of the door, she knocked before her fear talked her out it._

_“Come in!” Penelope’s voice answered much to Josie’s surprise._

_Carefully opening the door, Josie peaked her head inside and got a glimpse of Penelope in her bed. As soon as the hazel eyes noticed Josie, the older girl pulled up the covers to hide herself._

_“You have to get out, Jojo. I’m a mess and it’s too early for you to see me like this,” Penelope said, her voice hoarse and cracking._

_“Are you sick?” Josie was instantly worried and disregarded Penelope’s words to leave out of concern._

_“It’s not a pretty sight, so you should go,” the dark-haired girl reiterated, showing one of the few moments of insecurity._

_“You know I don’t care about that,” Josie said softly and walked up to the bed. Slowly sitting down on the edge, she was hoping not to cross any boundaries. “I was worried about you. Now I feel bad for not reaching out earlier. What happened?”_

_“Don’t feel bad,” Penelope sighed. “I was glad you didn’t. The last thing I wanted was to ruin the good thing we have going.”_

_“Do you really think I’m that shallow that I would let that affect me and how I feel about you?” The twin asked in a soft tone and smiled. “Come on, please,” the gentle plea was met with a loud sigh from Penelope. But it worked. The raven-haired girl slowly put down the blanket that she had been hiding behind and revealed herself._

_Josie kept smiling and was endeared yet concerned. Penelope’s eyes were bloodshot, dark circles under them, and her skin was paler than normal. The usual spark in the hazel eyes was gone. They looked drained and tired. Although Josie didn’t want to suspect the worst, she was worried Penelope might have used dark magic and was also suffering from some side-effects. But she wasn’t sure if Penelope’s coven had the same reaction of painful consequences. Josie thought it was only her and Lizzie who did._

_“Alicia and I tried some concocting this potion,” Penelope spoke up, obviously realizing how worried Josie looked. “I had a feeling she had done something wrong, but I didn’t want to offend her. She’s still trying to figure her powers out, so I volunteered to try it. Instead of added energy, she completely drained mine. I’ve been throwing up all weekend…I guess, my body is trying to get out the rest of it as quickly as possible. Can you see why I didn’t want you around me?”_

_Relieved about Penelope’s explanation, Josie offered a sympathetic smile._

_“You could have just told me that,” the brunette said gently. “I would have told you that you have a misguided sense of loyalty towards your friends, but I would have understood,” she added teasingly._

_“Because you don’t know anything about misguided loyalty, Saltzman twin,” Penelope teased right back, and they shared a little laugh. In doing that, Josie noticed the other student pressing down on her stomach in efforts to reduce her obvious pain._

_“Give me your hand,” Josie held out her own and saw Penelope not hesitating to follow her instruction._

_Josie closed her eyes, and siphoned Penelope’s magic which was still astoundingly strong for being affected by a draining potion. Her other hand carefully placed itself on Penelope’s stomach before Josie tried a spell that she had learned on her own. It had taken a lot practice but she spoke the syllables slowly and with concentration so it wouldn’t go wrong._

_Slowly opening her eyes again, she was met with the pair of hazel ones in complete awe. Penelope looked down on her stomach and back up._

_“The pain is gone,” she said clearly impressed._

_“It’s a pain reduction spell,” Josie explained coyly. “It doesn’t really heal you, but you don’t feel the symptoms that strongly. Unfortunately, I can’t do the healing spells yet. They need a little more practice.”_

_“You never cease to amaze me, Jojo,” Penelope answered with a smile, the pain relief already lifting her spirits._

_“It was nothing,” the other girl tried to downplay her spell._

_“It was definitely something,” Penelope disagreed. “Not to mention that power is super sexy,” she added, her smile morphing into a smirk._

_“Penelope,” Josie rolled her eyes to hide her flustered state while her cheeks were turning red. It was only then that she realized her hand was still comfortably positioned on Penelope’s stomach. Carefully withdrawing, she met the other girl’s eyes._

_“I didn’t mind,” Penelope nearly whispered, the blend of sweetness and seduction in her voice only flustering Josie even more._

_“You should probably get some rest,” the twin changed the subject quickly because her emotions were on overload._

_“Sure,” the dark-haired girl chuckled, completely enamored with Josie’s reaction it seemed. “Thank you, Jojo. I mean it.”_

_“You’re welcome,” Josie replied gently and got up from the bed. “Get well soon.”_

_“I might not be in class tomorrow if I don’t feel better,” Penelope explained. “I hope you won’t miss me too much,” she snickered._

_“Two classes sitting next to each other and you think I won’t manage without you already?” Josie continued their banter. “The potion might have gone to your head as well.”_

_“Says the girl whose cheeks are on fire after touching my stomach,” Penelope countered._

_“I thought you didn’t mind?” Josie tried holding back a smile and kinked an eyebrow._

_“I didn’t,” the older student smiled. “But I can see how that and siphoning my strong powers can overwhelm someone.”_

_“You really think that you have that strong of an effect on me?” Josie kept up their teasing._

_“I know I do,” Penelope said firmly and focused the hazel eyes intently on the girl looking back. Josie swallowed lightly, the determination and intensity in the brown-green color in Penelope’s eyes paralyzing her for a moment. It took her a second to snap out of it. “Don’t worry, Jojo. You have the same effect on me, too.”_

_Exchanging little smiles, Josie exhaled loudly to calm her pulse. They left the conversation there and Josie was mostly relieved that their connection hadn’t been a fluke. After not hearing from her date for almost two days, she was content knowing there wasn’t an issue pertaining to them. And although she hadn’t admitted it before, she was hoping to see Penelope tomorrow in class._

_Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Penelope was still out sick, but Josie didn’t want to disturb the other girl in her process of recovering. It wasn’t until almost bedtime that Josie decided to check in on Penelope. However, the door was locked, and no one answered. Perhaps she was asleep already. Josie made another quick stop to the kitchen. Looking out the window, she saw someone sitting by a little bonfire outside. Someone that looked an awful lot like the girl she had been looking for._

_Picking up an apple, Josie made her way to the outside area of the school and her assumption was confirmed. Penelope was sitting on the ground, her back leaned against a big tree trunk that was normally meant to be the seat. She looked a lot better than the night before; almost back to normal expect for a little drained still._

_“Jojo,” Penelope said surprised. “What are you doing here?”_

_“I was about to ask you the same question,” Josie answered and didn’t hesitate to sit down next to her classmate._

_“I needed to get some fresh air after being cooped up in my room all weekend,” Penelope explained before eyeing the brunette next to her. “You look cute,” she added with a smile._

_“Thanks,” Josie replied. “You look a lot better than yesterday. Are you feeling better?”_

_“I caved and talked to Emma,” the shorter of the two girls confessed. “Obviously she was upset that I was messing with potions that we hadn’t been taught yet, but she somehow reversed it. Maybe you can put in a good word with your Dad, so the punishment won’t be too severe.”_

_“Is the powerful Penelope Park asking me for a favor?” Josie teased before laughing gently. “I’ll see what I can do.”_

_Instead of answering, Penelope looked down and reached for Josie’s hand. Interlacing their fingers softly, the simple intimacy of feeling their palms resting comfortably against each other was palpable. Josie felt Penelope’s thumb gently stroking her skin, causing goosebumps all over arm._

_“Who knew you would be such a softie,” Josie whispered affectionately._

_“Everyone has an untold story, Jojo,” Penelope’s voice was gentle but serious. Her eyes still focused on their hands before slowly coming up to meet the brown ones. “I wonder what yours is.”_

_“I could ask you the same thing,” Josie breathed, taken aback by the seriousness the conversation had taken on. She hadn’t seen Penelope this deep in thought and almost brooding. It displayed yet another side to the multifaceted witch that portrayed herself in a one-dimensional manner to most people at school. There was clearly a shift in the mood and Josie wondered if Penelope was okay. Before she able to ask, the older one spoke up._

_“I’m envious of the relationship you have with your Dad,” Penelope said, leaving Josie astonished again. “Mine’s not in the picture and he hasn’t been for a long time. He just left one day. No conversation. No phone-call. Not even a note.”_

_Watching her, Josie saw the hazel eyes focusing on their hands. It was shocking to hear what Penelope revealed about her family dynamic, but Josie listened intently, elated the other girl felt comfortable enough to open up._

_“A few months ago,” Penelope continued. “I did a locator spell and went to see him. He has a whole new family. Children and everything. I couldn’t bring myself to face him. Partly because I didn’t want to ruin another family…and partly because I was afraid of what I would do to him. He devasted my Mom. I think that’s why she sent me here. She couldn’t take care of me anymore. The worst part is…I didn’t tell her about looking for him, let alone finding him. But I’d rather feel like shit for keeping it from her, than destroying her all over again.”_

_The brunette twin had goosebumps all over her body listening to Penelope. No one had ever been this vulnerable with her. Coming from someone who had constructed such an impenetrable persona, the reveal felt even more intense. Josie noticed a little shimmer in the hazel eyes, tears welling up in the sockets but being held back._

_It was instinctual and there was no thinking beforehand, otherwise it probably wouldn’t have happened, but Josie leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Penelope’s cheek. Penelope’s lips formed a little smile, happy with the affection and reassurance given by the twin. Listening to her instincts, Josie inched closer, putting her free hand on Penelope’s arm while resting her head on the raven-haired girl’s shoulder._

_Josie had never been this close to someone; expect for Lizzie but that was obviously different. The comfort she was able to give and receive in return felt natural and easy. Letting Penelope’s words sink in while both of them watched the fire, Josie took a deep breath._

_“I’m scared I’ll never find out who I truly am,” Josie began telling her own story in a quiet voice. And even though she couldn’t see Penelope, she knew she was listening just as intensely. “I always define myself by how others see me; by what I can do for them. As much as I love her…I envy Lizzie for being able to know what she wants and taking whatever that is. But a little part of me resents her at the same time although I know it’s not her fault.”_

_“The truth is that I don’t really know what I want,” Josie resumed. “And even worse…I’m afraid to find out. What if the person I am deep down isn’t someone I like?” Voicing that deep-seated fear choked Josie right up. She couldn’t believe she had just said all of that. Her insecurity showed its ugly head when her first thought was that Penelope might not want to be around her anymore._

_“That’s impossible,” Penelope answered gently after Josie hadn’t continued. “There is no way you’re not going to like who you are deep down.”_

_“You don’t know that,” Josie responded, lifting her head from Penelope’s shoulder to face her, revealing a sad smile on her lips._

_“Don’t be afraid,” Penelope whispered softly, using her free hand to stroke Josie’s cheek as a sign of comfort. “We all have our demons, Jojo. That’s why we’re here after all. But they don’t define us. Facing them head on is nothing to be afraid of because we have to at some point. Everyone has hurdles to jump. Ours might be higher than others but we have abilities to jump over them regardless. It’s not about how many hurdles are in your way, but how much courage you have to jump them every time. Even if you fall and trip along the way. It’s about how many times you get up again to prove to yourself that you’re more powerful than those issues. And I know for sure that the person you are, without everyone else’s influence, is even more striking and stunning than you are already.”_

_There was an indescribable feeling building up inside of Josie as she heard what Penelope said about her. She had never felt that seen by anyone. While it scared her, it was fulfilling beyond her wildest imaginations. Penelope was disarming her emotionally at a rate Josie didn’t think possible. Being so raw with someone was thrilling, nearly addicting. She thought of her twin sister’s words: She was falling for Penelope Park. Hard and fast. Beyond her control and Josie was willingly doing it._

_Her rational mind told her to slow down, but her emotional heart yearned for that kind of support, comfort and affection. Penelope’s passion was palpable and contagious. To a point where Josie couldn’t hold back because she didn’t want to. When she saw Penelope leaning in closer, there was no hesitation._

_Contrary to the night of their date, the situation wasn’t as nerve-wracking as standing in front of the door at the end of the night. The natural build-up of the situation and the intense bonding of their conversation was the perfect circumstance for this moment. Josie was definitely still nervous, but she wasn’t worried about doing something wrong. It felt right._

_The anticipation was killing her. With both girls closing their eyes, their lips merely inches away from each other, Josie felt Penelope’s uneven breath hitting her skin. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who was nervous. Penelope’s hand remained on her cheek, gently pulling her in closer until their lips finally met. It was tender and soft but meaningful. Josie forgot to breath for a moment. Her mind was encompassed by how fulfilled she felt._

_It was obvious that Penelope was more experienced. However, she was careful and considerate in order not to overwhelm Josie. Pulling away, she rested her forehead against the twin’s forehead, prolonging the moment of shared intimacy. Their eyes met for a second before the shorter girl was surprised to find Josie initiating another kiss. Closing her eyes, she felt Josie’s lips pressing against her own with a little more pressure than before. Reciprocating in the same manner, they shared a few more kisses before the bell signaling bedtime rang._

_Although neither of them wanted to stop, they had to. Getting up, they walked inside holding hands, seeing the looks from other students as they publicly displayed their relationship. Josie felt shy at first, but Penelope’s confidence reassured her that this wasn’t something to be ashamed of or shy about. In fact, she couldn’t wait to see where all of it would go._

_-_

_The next day, Penelope still wasn’t in class. Josie assumed that she hadn’t been cleared yet and still had to recover. Her worry was quickly overshadowed by concern for the other person in her life that she cared deeply about. Lizzie had a bad day; a really bad day._

_Josie spent all day with her twin, trying to make sure she felt supported and at ease. She had done it so often by now that it was second nature to her. It still required a lot of energy and strength, but she did so willingly. She couldn’t stand seeing the people she loved hurting. Giving up her time to make sure her twin sister felt better seemed like a little sacrifice._

_There was a knock on the door in the evening, and Josie quickly walked over to open it. Standing in the hallway was Penelope who looked healthy again. Instantly smiling, the butterflies in her stomach returned._

_“Hey Jojo,” Penelope greeted in her typical fashion. “I was wondering if you wanted to hang out?”_

_“I would love to but…” Josie hesitated and didn’t open the door fully. “Lizzie really needs me tonight. She isn’t feeling well, and I don’t want to leave her alone. Can we reschedule?”_

_“Yeah, of course,” the other witch said sympathetically. “Tell her I hope she feels better soon.”_

_“I will,” the brunette answered shortly before she heard Lizzie’s aggravated voice behind her. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Bye.”_

_Quickly shutting the door, she hated brushing Penelope off like this, but Lizzie was in no condition to be around other people. Let alone someone she harbored negative feelings for. Josie ended up taking care of the blonde as best as she could until Lizzie had fallen asleep. It was past bedtime, but Josie had barely eaten anything all day._

_Quietly getting out of bed, she decided to sneak out for a little midnight snack. Reaching the kitchen, she was surprised to find Penelope and MG there. MG was one of the vampires at school and a close friend. The sight of two of her favorite people together brightened her mood instantaneously._

_“Hey you two,” Josie greeted and walked over to them._

_“Jo!” MG exclaimed happily and put down the bag of blood he was feeding from for a moment._

_Approaching the dark-haired witch, she saw Penelope holding out her hand and took it. Next thing she knew, she was being pulled closer and met with a kiss that was unexpected, yet perfect. Blushing slightly after pulling away, she saw MG looking at them in complete and utter shock._

_“Wait,” the vampire shook his head. “This is real?! I heard everyone talking about it at school today, but I thought it was a joke.”_

_“Why would that be a joke?” Penelope returned angrily, the hazel eyes piercing through MG which took Josie by surprise._

_“Whoa, chill, Peez,” MG threw up his hands in surrender. “I guess…I just didn’t see it coming.”_

_“Neither did I, to be fair,” Josie stood up for her friend and squeezed Penelope’s hand, appeasing the other girl swiftly._

_“I think y’all have to do that again though because I don’t quite believe it yet,” the boy teased and wiggled his eyebrows._

_“You’re drooling,” Penelope smirked whereas MG simply laughed. “I’m serious. You have blood running down the side of your mouth.”_

_They all ended up laughing as MG wiped his mouth and found red liquid all over it._

_“I’ll be right back,” Penelope excused herself for a moment, leaving the two friends by themselves._

_“Penelope Park? Really?” MG immediately asked once the witch had left the kitchen._

_“She’s not at all what people think of her,” Josie wanted to be annoyed at yet another person questioning her judgment, but she was too happy._

_“Sure about that?” The young vampire asked. “You saw how she almost ripped my head off just now?”_

_“Maybe you shouldn’t assume that our connection was a joke and she wouldn’t have to be upset,” Josie returned._

_“Oohh, you’re on her side,” MG said teasingly. “She has you whipped already.”_

_Josie threw one of the dish cloths at her friend but couldn’t deny the obvious bond between her and Penelope._

_“I’m not here to judge, but she is a lot to handle,” MG replied with concern._

_“Coming from the guy who is obsessed with a certain twin sister of mine?” Josie shot back while kinking an eyebrow knowingly._

_“Can’t argue that,” MG laughed and drank the rest of his blood portion._

_“Time to leave, MG,” Penelope’s voice returned. “I need some alone time with Josie.”_

_“I can be quiet and just watch. You won’t even know that I’m here,” the boy grinned at both witches._

_“Now,” Penelope emphasized in a playful way this time._

_“Damn, Peez,” MG sighed but followed her orders because he didn’t want to impede on their alone time. “No need to get all territorial. Sure you’re not a werewolf, too?”_

_“Bye, MG,” both girls said as the vampire left the kitchen and left them to themselves._

_“You look a lot better,” Josie noted while leaning against the kitchen counter. “Are you feeling better?”_

_“Yeah, I’m cleared to come back to class tomorrow,” Penelope revealed while slowly approaching Josie. “How’s Lizzie?”_

_“She’s asleep,” Josie kept her answer short and saw the other girl taking both of her hands into her own. Those little signs of affection were just as exciting every time. “But I’m glad you’re coming back to class tomorrow.”_

_“Did you miss me?” The dark-haired witch asked in a low voice while simultaneously putting Josie’s arms around her waist, closing the distance between their bodies._

_“Yes,” Josie whispered, not bantering this time but simply enjoying the moment they had. Gently locking her arms around Penelope’s waist, her breathing sped up. They were very close, and it was obvious what would follow. The older one cupped Josie’s face with both of her hands, gently and slowly in an attempt not to let the passion overwhelm them._

_Both of them leaned in and met in the middle with their lips reuniting in a long-awaited moment of undisturbed intimacy. There was less nerves and hesitation as before. And also, less restraint. Josie felt Penelope’s lips capturing her bottom lip skillfully, trapping them longer than the times before. Reciprocating with the same amount of eagerness, their kisses increased quickly with longing as she felt Penelope’s tongue brushing against her bottom lip._

_“Penelope,” Josie giggled breathlessly._

_“Sorry, too much?” Penelope asked and bit her lower lip as if she was trying to control herself._

_“No but…someone could walk in any second,” the twin explained her abrupt end of the kiss._

_“Well,” the other girl chuckled. “We could go to my room.” As soon as she said it and saw Josie’s eyes widening like a deer in highlights, Penelope clarified. “Not like that. Just to do this,” she placed a soft kiss on Josie’s lips, “a little while longer.”_

_“It’s already past bedtime. If we get caught,” Josie worried but clearly not averse to the idea completely._

_“You’re the headmaster’s daughter so you don’t really have to worry about it,” Penelope shrugged. “And I’ll take whatever punishment.”_

_Josie was torn but looking into the hazel eyes, the decision wasn’t that hard after all. They tried to be as stealthy as possible, sneaking around the school hallways before finally reaching Penelope’s room. The sound of their giggles filled up the room. Unlike most other students at the school, Penelope didn’t have a roommate. Another sign of the status the young witch held. She wanted her own space and no on dared to question it._

_Now that they were alone, Josie felt giddy when Penelope couldn’t hold out any longer to kiss her again. Bumping into the bed behind them, Josie actually made the first move of sitting down and pulling the other one with her. Their kisses were heated and filled with undeniable urge to be as close as possible. It felt as if Josie didn’t have any oxygen left in her lungs but didn’t want to stop either in order to catch a breath._

_Josie fell back, her back landing on the mattress but still holding onto Penelope and therefore pulling her down as well. She felt Penelope’s warm body on top her, all of her senses spiraling out of control. In an attempt to get some grip, she put her hand on Penelope’s lower back, not realizing the shirt had slid up so she ended up grasping naked skin._

_The dark-haired girl didn’t seem to mind and tangled up her hand in Josie’s light brown strands. Their lips were constantly searching for the other ones’, nearly desperate not to let any moment go to waste. But then, Penelope withdrew and tilted her head lower to surprise Josie with a heated kiss on her neck. Josie’s breath hitched in the back of her throat, her hands instinctively grasping firmly, scratching the skin of Penelope’s lower back. The sensation accidently caused Josie to siphon that spot._

_“Whoa,” Penelope gasped because she could feel the heat radiating from Josie’s hand on her back._

_“Sorry,” Josie uttered completely breathless, making them both stop for a moment to regain their composure._

_“All that uncontrollable power,” the girl on top whispered with a blend of admiration, desire and curiosity in her voice before taking a deep breath. “But we should probably stop before one of us accidently sets this place on fire.”_

_Laughing gently, Josie couldn’t deny that she was capable of doing so. Did Penelope know that? She couldn’t possibly know about that incident with Hope Mikaelson’s room. Or could she?_

**_“Josie Saltzman! I know you’re in there, so open up. Now.”_ **

_The voice from outside of the room clearly belonged to Josie’s father, also the headmaster of the school. So much for being stealth. The girls looked at each other and shared a laugh before resigning to the fact that they were caught._

_“At least we’ll see each other in class tomorrow,” Penelope offered as she walked the brunette to her door. Instead of an answer, Josie turned around and gave Penelope one last kiss for the night before the knocking on the door intensified. As she opened it, the disapproving look on her dad’s face was usually the worst expression she could imagine. But tonight, it wasn’t enough to make her feel guilty._

_“Dr. Saltzman,” Penelope said politely, aware she was in trouble no matter what. Her lips were swollen and so were Josie’s. It didn’t take Einstein to figure what they had been doing. She only hoped he wasn’t going to be too hard on Josie. “I lost track of time. It was completely my fault.”_

_“Spare me. We’ll talk tomorrow, Penelope.”_

_“Sure thing,” the witch replied but smiled at Josie before the two of them walked off._

_Having Penelope wanting to take the fall for her wasn’t necessary, but Josie appreciated it. Even if she hated disappointing her father, it wasn’t like she had done something horrible. She was a teenager after all. However, her father didn’t wait and immediately gave her a lecture once they reached the twins’ room._

_“What are you doing, Josie?” Alaric Saltzman asked in disbelief. “I understand you might feel drawn to her, but this is dangerous territory.”_

_Josie was taken aback. Her dad wasn’t upset about her being out past bedtime, but because she was with Penelope?!_

_“Listen, I know you’re young and we all go through a bad boy or bad girl phase but- “_

_“It’s not a phase,” Josie interrupted angrily._

_“I’m not done talking, Josette,” Alaric continued sternly. “You might think it’s fun and exciting, but Penelope is powerful. You have to be careful around others with that much potential danger.”_

_“Someone might say the same thing about me,” his daughter kept arguing._

_“You couldn’t hurt a fly and we all know that,” the man responded but Josie shook her head. Everyone saw her as this demure, little girl who couldn’t tell what was good for her. It made her realize once more that Penelope was the only one who acknowledged her power and saw her as capable of making her own decisions._

_Without realizing it, Alaric was only strengthening the bond between the two girls. Surely, he was worried. Perhaps for good reason. But Josie wasn’t willing to have another person stand in the way of doing what she wanted for the first time in her life, in spite of what everyone told her to do. She wanted to be with Penelope. Even if that meant risking heartbreak._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Please note that I didn’t watch The Originals and have only seen the first couple of seasons of TVD. I’m not claiming to know much. Like many others, I was simply intrigued by their story and the parts we didn’t get to see. This is just the version that I cooked up in my head.  
> Feedback is always appreciated. Please be aware that I’m not a native speaker, so mistakes are bound to happen. Thank you.


	2. The Highs & The Lows

_A few weeks had passed since Penelope and Josie’s whirlwind of a budding relationship. With more dates and quality time under their belt, they had established a comfortability with another that had taken both witches by surprise. Although there were still people who had doubts, the most obvious ones being Josie’s family, they had begun to understand that there was no coming in between the strong bond that had been forged in a relatively small amount of time._

_Josie had told them to let her make her own decisions and that included whom she wanted to spend her time with. At the moment, that was Penelope and she couldn’t imagine it ever changing. Sometimes, she still wondered how it had happened so quickly or why Penelope was seemingly all over her. But Josie enjoyed it immensely._

_It was evident by them being half-snuggled up on Josie’s bed right now. While the twin tried to do her homework, Penelope was sitting behind her, reading a book. Josie’s back was resting against the dark-haired girl’s chest as she felt a pair of warm lips kissing her cheeks. Instantly smiling, she attempted to appear unfazed, but Penelope continued, leaving a trail of soft kisses along the younger one’s jawline._

_“I can’t concentrate when you do that, you know,” Josie spoke up quietly._

_“That’s kind of the point,” Penelope mumbled in between kisses, her hands dropping the book on the bed in order to wrap her arms around Josie’s torso._

_“I won’t be able to do my homework then,” the taller of the two responded, failing to hide her smile._

_“Oh, we can’t have that, can we?” Penelope mocked playfully. “The headmaster’s daughter showing up without her homework. Scandalous,” she added, whispering the last word before kissing a spot right next to Josie’s ear that always induced a reaction. Josie closed her eyes involuntarily, goosebumps spreading all over her skin._

_“Are you trying to corrupt me, Penelope Park?” Josie breathed, completely forgetting about her homework already._

_“Could I?” The older one questioned, chuckling mildly._

_Josie shifted in the embrace, turning her head back so she could face Penelope whose eyes were instantly locking with her._

_“Can you?” Josie whispered and posed the question with a raised eyebrow, resuming the banter while her heart was pounding heavily._

_“Challenge accepted,” Penelope smirked, the hazel eyes dropping to look at Josie’s lips. As they leaned in, Penelope withdrew, drawing out the tension._

_“You enjoy teasing me, don’t you?” The brunette witch asked, sighing in frustration because she was eager to receive more affection._

_“Just a little bit,” Penelope answered, whispering against Josie’s lips before finally reuniting them with her own._

_The kiss was deep and slow, driven by the tension beforehand. Josie felt the difference in it immediately. Surely, they had been kissing a lot over the past few weeks but not like this. It was either sweet and soft or heated and over quickly because they wanted to take things slow. They way Penelope held her tight, pressing their bodies so close together felt intense. The twin could feel every little movement._

_She was purely going off instinct in these situations but trusted Penelope enough to follow her lead. The girl with long, dark locks sucked on Josie’s lower lip before playfully biting down on the soft flesh. All of Josie’s senses were on overload. She reciprocated the sensual nature of their lips dancing with each other, opening her mouth just enough for Penelope’s tongue to skillfully deepen the kiss even more. Josie’s hand wandered to the back of Penelope’s neck, signaling that she wanted more. And just as they were reaching a new height of intimacy, the door flung open._

_“Oh my God!” Lizzie’s annoyed voice appeared, the sound of the door startling the young couple. “What did I tell you about the new ground rules? No making out when I’m in the room,” she addressed Josie._

_“You literally just walked in,” Penelope interjected, giving Josie a little more time to compose herself._

_“Which means I’m_ in _the room,” Lizzie replied offended._

_“How are you related to her?” Penelope asked Josie jokingly, but emphasizing that she couldn’t understand how the two sisters operated like total opposites in the world. Josie smiled, still flustered._

_“I’m having a crisis, Jo,” the blonde began, and Josie instantly sat up. “We need to talk. In private,” the twin continued, glancing at Penelope._

_“Subtle,” Penelope mumbled before sighing loudly. Looking at Josie, the brunette’s eyes were apologetic, and Penelope knew there was no fighting the inevitable outcome. “Fine,” she said. “But we’re still on for tonight?” She asked and saw Josie nodding._

_Getting up from the bed, Penelope took another look at Lizzie who was impatiently waiting for her to leave. The dark-haired witch leaned down, giving Josie a purposefully long kiss, although they had plans to watch a movie together later that night in Penelope’s room._

_“Gross,” Lizzie groaned._

_Seeing Josie smile afterwards completely diminished Lizzie’s words of disdain. “See you later, Jojo,” Penelope breathed before leaving the twins’ room._

_Later was supposed to be seven o’clock. When Josie didn’t show, Penelope had a feeling that Lizzie’s crisis had taken over. It wasn’t the first time it had happened. Sometimes Josie showed up late and other times she wouldn’t show up at all, profusely apologizing the next day. The reason was always the same: Lizzie wasn’t feeling well._

_Penelope was starting to build up resentment, no matter how hard she tried to resist it. She wasn’t asking for all of Josie’s time, but the closer they got, the more needy Lizzie became. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Looking at the clock, it was past midnight, which meant past bedtime. Apparently, Josie had snuck out to antedate the apology._

_Watching the brunette carefully walk in, Penelope sat up straight, battling her emotions before Josie sat down on the edge of the bed._

_“I’m really sorry,” Josie’s words were clearly truthful and sincere._

_“This is the third time this week you bailed on me,” Penelope couldn’t hold back, voicing her frustrations immediately._

_“I didn’t bail on you.“_

_“Or ditched me for Lizzie, whatever you want to call it,” Penelope continued upset._

_“She’s having a very bad week,” Josie justified her behavior. “You were the one who said we all have demons and are trying to fight them.”_

_“Is she fighting them?” The older one asked sharply. “Or are you fighting them for her?”_

_“Lizzie is doing the best she can,” Josie countered, slowly growing defensive._

_“Maybe that’s not good enough if you’re always there to pick up the pieces,” Penelope responded, and the mood changed instantaneously._

_“I know you’re upset,” Josie had never been confronted about her relationship with Lizzie this directly. Her guard was coming up as soon as Penelope had begun to question it. “But that doesn’t give you the right to judge me and my family. You have no idea what we’ve been through.”_

_“Because you shut me out,” Penelope returned quietly but firmly. “It’s not like I don’t understand that she’s struggling, but at what point is she going to understand that you can’t save her all the time? That’s not doing her any good and it’s definitely not doing you any good either,” she added unable to restrain herself from unleashing her anger._

_“If this is what you think of me and family, then maybe this isn’t a good idea,” Josie said all of a sudden, getting up from the bed and leaving Penelope stunned._

_“Jojo, wait,” Penelope tried to grab the younger girl’s hand, astonished by the heavy reaction to their first fight._

_“I have enough people in my life telling me what to do,” Josie freed her hand from Penelope’s, her voice shaking and fleeing the room as quickly as possible._

_Penelope was left behind completely shocked. Granted, criticizing the most important relationship in Josie’s life wasn’t going to be easy, but she hadn’t expected this harsh of a reaction. Usually, Josie was very open and didn’t mind talking about her view on things. This was different. She immediately put up a wall and showed that there was a boundary that Penelope shouldn’t cross. Otherwise, she was willing to lose it all in order to protect her twin sister._

_While it worried Penelope, she wasn’t going to let this fight destroy the incredibly bond they had built until now. If that meant letting Josie put Lizzie first, she was going to accept it – for now._

_-_

_Josie hadn’t seen Penelope all day since their big fight the night before. The brunette felt horrible. Obviously, Penelope would be upset after being stood up once again, but Josie felt helpless. It wasn’t like she had another option. Lizzie had always been there for her and vice versa. She couldn’t change that, simply because she was in a relationship now. That wouldn’t be fair, would it? Yet, it wasn’t fair to Penelope either._

_She had a tendency to push people away before they could hurt her. The argument last night was the perfect example. While Josie understood where Penelope was coming from, she couldn’t allow herself to be put in a situation where she had to choose. In order to avoid such a choice, she had run away. And now Penelope wasn’t talking to her. It was nighttime already and Josie had given up on changing anything today. She opened the door to her room, intending to go to the bathroom and get ready for bed when she noticed something unusual._

_Floating in the air right outside of her room was a bouquet of pink and white daisies. Josie stopped in her tracks and carefully walked closer. Daisies were her favorite flowers, but she couldn’t think of someone who even knew that. But since magic was involved, her hopes of it being Penelope’s work were rising. There was a little card attached and Josie’s face lit up as soon as she read it._

**_Meet me at the lake_ **

**_\- P_ **

_Once she put the card back and took the bouquet in her hands, a trail of small, glowing sparks lit up. It looked like a pathway of fireflies gently flying in the air and showing Josie the way. She didn’t need any more encouragement and followed the magical sparks outside until she reached the lake. Her heart was already pumping violently in her chest, but seeing Penelope wait for her by the water with a picnic ready made Josie worry that her heart would implode at some point._

_“Hey Jojo,” Penelope said softly, almost shy._

_“Hi,” Josie managed to get out before stepping closer so they would be facing each other._

_“I wasn’t sure you were going to show up but I’m glad you did,” the dark-haired teen admitted with a little smile. “Last night was…horrible. And I’m sorry. You were right. I don’t know what you and Lizzie have been through. Therefore, it’s not my place to judge. I always tell you not to listen to others and follow your own instincts. You trusted me not to be like everyone else telling you what you should do, but I did. I disappointed you. That’s what I’m sorry for the most. And I hope you can forgive me for it.”_

_Josie’s heartrate was slowing down and a sensation of warmth took over. Listening to Penelope’s apology, she realized how well the other girl knew her. She didn’t have to explain her reasonings for being upset at all. Penelope knew already and had no issue accepting her shortcomings in the situation. Josie was used to downplaying her emotions in order to make others feel comfortable. Truthfully, she probably would have done the same thing with Penelope because she wasn’t willing to let things end. The fact that she didn’t have to and was validated in what she felt was a completely new experience._

_“This is the part where you say something,” Penelope spoke up again, insecurity lacing her voice as Josie was solely standing there in complete silence._

_“Sorry,” Josie shook her head, noticing she had been lost in her own thoughts. “Of course, I forgive you,” she smiled widely. “I shouldn’t have left but I’m not good with conflict. There is this urge in me to run and I’m sorry, too.”_

_“It’s okay,” Penelope looked incredibly relieved and exhaled loudly. Slowly taking both of Josie’s hands, she stepped closer. “I promise to be a better girlfriend if you’ll have me,” she added, sneakily trying to confirm that she was in fact Josie’s girlfriend. They hadn’t had a conversation about it and perhaps they didn’t need to, but the older witch wanted to make sure they were on the same page._

_Josie immediately knew what Penelope was doing and bit her lower lip._

_“I’ll be a better girlfriend, too,” the brunette confirmed with a smile before leaning in to seal their reconciliation and new commitment with a kiss._

_-_

_Students everywhere, alcohol flowing, music playing over the speakers – it looked like every other teenage party when the Salvatore School kids enjoyed a night of unsupervised fun. However, it wasn’t completely unsupervised. Dr. Saltzman knew better than most that his students needed to feel as normal as possible sometimes. That included giving them a little leeway to be teenagers. He was aware of the parties and always broke them up at some point, but he was more comfortable with the supernatural students being on his property than out in the world._

_Josie wasn’t used to the commotion but enjoyed herself with Lizzie. Her blonde twin had demanded that Josie went with her and not Penelope who had a bigger circle of friends. Josie didn’t fight her twin on it and her girlfriend had agreed as well. Ever since their big, first fight, Lizzie had become a topic of no discussion. The young couple tried to accommodate their special circumstances as best as they could and were successful this far._

_Looking around throughout the night, Josie saw Penelope hanging out with other witches and seemingly having fun as well._

_“I don’t know how you deal with her,” Lizzie groaned, pointing behind Josie so her twin would turn around. Once she did, she saw Penelope talking to Jed. He was the alpha wolf; tall, dark and handsome. They were talking animatedly, laughing almost hysterically at one point. While Penelope held a cup in one hand, she put her other hand on Jed’s muscular chest._

_Taking a deep breath, Josie reminded herself that she had no reason to be jealous. Penelope was outgoing and popular. So was Jed. It shouldn’t be a surprise that they were friends. Nevertheless, in comparison to the powerful werewolf that exuded strength, Josie felt insecurity sneaking up on her._

_“They had a steamy hookup six months ago,” Lizzie continued with contempt._

_“They did?” Josie asked, unaware of their history._

_“Oh yeah,” the taller twin scoffed. “You’re always so out of the loop, Jo. But your girlfriend put a leash on the alpha. He was following her around like a little puppy. Once they hooked up, she dumped him and moved on. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you should probably take her to her room before he does.”_

_“She would never do that,” Josie said quietly, still processing the new information while watching Penelope and Jed._

_“As much as it makes me sick to think about it,” Lizzie frowned and took a sip from her cup. “She takes what she wants, and you better make sure you’re there when she’s…ready to take.”_

_Josie understood what Lizzie was implying; that Penelope would cheat on her if her ‘appetite’ would take over. Strangely enough, the dark-haired witch had never done anything that would indicate she wasn’t satisfied with how things were going. Josie was inexperienced and didn’t feel comfortable initiating, but Penelope hadn’t done it either. Why? Josie started asking herself._

_If Penelope was this flirtatious seductress, why wasn’t she pushing for more? Wasn’t she attracted to Josie in the same way she was perhaps attracted to someone like Jed? Or was she actually fulfilling those wants with someone else entirely?_

_“We…we haven’t…you know,” Josie stuttered while her cheeks were flushing, carefully locking eyes with her twin who nearly choked on her drink hearing that._

_“What?!” Lizzie exclaimed._

_“Shhh!” Josie didn’t want everyone to know about her intimate details with Penelope; or lack thereof._

_“Are you serious?” The blue-eyed girl was perplexed. “Oh, thank God. I was a little bit offended that you weren’t telling me things, but I thought you were being coy, not that there wasn’t something to tell.”_

_“Why is that such a shock?” Josie wondered. “It’s only been like three months.”_

_“I thought Penelope wouldn’t wait three weeks,” Lizzie returned bluntly, making Josie gulp. “But then…what are you doing in her room all the time?”_

_“We hang out and obviously we make out but…” Josie explained slowly._

_“And nothing else?” The blonde girl wondered, still completely bewildered._

_“Not yet,” the other twin confessed, shifting uncomfortably._

_“Wow,” Lizzie said, shaking her head. “I don’t know what game Penelope is playing but I didn’t see this coming.”_

_Sighing loudly, Josie wanted to protest that there was no game being played but in typical Lizzie fashion, the light-haired twin saw one of the more popular guys waving at her and walked off instantly. Left alone with the nagging feelings of inferiority and rising suspicions of betrayal, Josie found herself ready to leave the party. She didn’t want to continue watching everyone else have fun._

_Suddenly, she looked up and saw Penelope approaching her quickly._

_“I just saw Lizzie walking off and thought I’d seize the moment,” Penelope smiled widely and greeted her girlfriend with a kiss. When Josie reciprocated half-heartedly, she furrowed her eyebrows. “Everything okay?”_

_“I think I’m going to my room,” Josie tried to avoid conflict once again._

_“Why?” The slightly older witch questioned. “Now that Lizzie is gone, we can finally hang out.”_

_“What’s the point?” The brunette shrugged her shoulders. “You have enough people to have fun with and this isn’t my idea of fun anyway.”_

_“Enough people?” Penelope repeated confused. “What are you talking about?”_

_“You seemed to have fun with Jed,” Josie blurted out before she was able to stop herself._

_“Jealousy, Jojo?” Penelope lifted both eyebrows in astonishment. “Unexpected but kind of sexy,” she added flirtatiously, trying to banter._

_“I should go,” Josie muttered, clearly unamused after being bombarded with Lizzie’s stories and doubts about Penelope’s past._

_“Whoa, hold on,” the raven-haired girl grabbed Josie’s hand. “Jed was just feeding me all the new wolf gossip. We’re friends and he knows I’m nosy. Why are you so upset?”_

_“I’m just…annoyed and tired. Can you please let me go,” all of Josie’s instincts to run before she would get hurt were coming to the forefront again. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” She said and felt Penelope letting go of her hand, unwilling to make the younger one stay against her will._

_Josie didn’t want to go to her room. She was afraid Lizzie would bring a boy back and that was the last thing she wanted to witness tonight. Instead she went to the library, suspecting no one else to be there. She was proven wrong when she saw Hope Mikaelson sitting at one of the large tables._

_“Hi,” Hope greeted the twin. “Not in the mood for a party either?”_

_“Something like that,” Josie answered before sitting down across from the other girl. “What about you?” Hope solely kinked an eyebrow, which was all Josie needed to understand. Hope was the most infamous student at school and her status as a tribrid had made her an outcast early on. The girl wasn’t necessarily shunned, but she didn’t make an effort to fit in either. She never went to social gatherings, let alone parties._

_There had been a time where Josie had had a crush on Hope. Those feelings felt miniscule now in comparison to her feelings for Penelope._

_“You seem upset,” Hope noted carefully. “Is it about Penelope Park?”_

_“What is it with people?!” Josie’s frustration burst out unexpectedly. “Why is everyone so convinced that she is this horrible person? She has been nothing but kind, patient and supportive but everyone seems to think that I’m wrong about her. I’m sick of it! The person that I know doesn’t resemble the person everyone else sees.”_

_Realizing she was exploding at the wrong person, Hope looked stunned but still relaxed._

_“I’m not a stranger to that feeling myself,” Hope replied quietly and saw Josie meeting her gaze. “Loving someone while the whole world thinks they’re a monster,” the tribrid clearly referred to her father. His reputation was far beyond Penelope’s, but Josie felt understood hearing the girl opening up about similar struggles. “I’m not good at this stuff, but if you need to vent, I can listen.”_

_“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to blow up on you,” Josie apologized but Hope smiled reassuringly. “This whole thing with Penelope is making me crazy, I feel. When I’m with her, there is no doubt in my mind about us and what we feel. It’s like I’m about to burst with all of these feelings that I’ve never felt before. She makes me feel so comfortable and I want to do the same thing for her. I just don’t know if I can because it’s that intense sometimes. The good and the bad.”_

_“Sounds like epic love to me,” Hope responded softly before Josie’s brown eyes widened a little. “You haven’t told her?”_

_“What?” Josie asked cautiously._

_“That you love her,” the older student replied as if it was the most obvious thing._

_“What makes you think that I’m in love with her?” The twin continued avoiding the question._

_“This conversation,” Hope countered gently, seeing Josie look down. She didn’t need to say anything else. “Are you afraid she’s not going to love you back?” The fact that Hope wasn’t the most social helped her in a weird way. She wasn’t used to beating around the bush to spare someone’s feelings._

_“Maybe,” Josie admitted barely above a whisper, realizing her insecurities were coming from a deeper place than jealousy._

_“You should tell her,” Hope advised in a soft tone. “If she’s the person you think she is, there’s no reason to be scared. Not to sound too dark but…you never know how much time you have with someone. Make the best of it, Josie. Don’t live with regrets about the things you wished you would have said earlier or more often. That’s going to hurt a lot more than possibly being wrong about someone.”_

_As Hope explained her side of things, Josie couldn’t help but listen closely. Hope was right. As much as it terrified her to make herself even more vulnerable, she couldn’t keep pretending that her feelings weren’t there. If anything, Penelope always wanted her to be open about her wants and needs. And now Hope was encouraging her to do the same thing._

_“You’re surprisingly good at this,” Josie noted with a smile and was reminded of why Lizzie and herself had tried to befriend the tribrid so many times. There was a genuine quality about Hope that was wise beyond her years, but Josie couldn’t force a friendship._

_Hope didn’t answer but reciprocated Josie’s smile._

_“Are you sure you don’t want to go outside?” Josie asked but saw Hope shaking her head._

_“I’m good but thank you for asking.”_

_“Okay,” Josie felt relieved after letting go of some of her anger and got up from her seat. “Thank you, Hope.”_

_“You’re welcome,” Hope replied genuinely. “Goodnight, Josie.”_

_“Goodnight.”_

_Walking away, Josie contemplated looking for Penelope immediately. But there were so many people outside that it was impossible to find her. Or maybe she had left as well? Going to Penelope’s room, she knocked but didn’t get an answer. The door wasn’t locked, and Josie peaked inside but no one was there. Her search continued for a while before she decided to reschedule her talk for the next day._

_She sat down in front of the fireplace with a blanket around her shoulders. Replaying the entire night in her head, she heard a familiar voice behind her. It was Penelope and a few other witches walking back to their rooms._

_“Penelope!” Josie called just loud enough for them to hear. The group of girls stopped in their tracks, but Penelope gave them a signal to go ahead before approaching Josie. Not saying a word, she sat down next to the brunette, before speaking up._

_“Are you okay?”_

_“Are you happy…with me?” Josie asked, her voice quiet and unsure._

_“Yeah, of course,” Penelope answered without any hesitation and turned her body towards her girlfriend. “Why do you ask?”_

_“We’ve been together for a while and you make me so happy,” Josie said sincerely, making Penelope smile a little. “I’m just wondering…I know you’re more experienced than me…and I…want to make you happy, too,” the brunette attempted to be as confident as she could but worded her concerns slowly._

_Penelope looked worried for some reason. Shifting her body to fully face the younger one, she made sure Josie looked her in the eyes before her response._

_“Promise me something right now,” Penelope’s voice sounded gentle but intense at the same time. “Promise me you’ll never do something that you’re unsure of because you think I expect it from you.”_

_The twin was surprised by not only the response but the determination with which Penelope conveyed her message._

_“I promise,” Josie whispered, still looking into the hazel eyes that were reflecting the fire burning in front of them. Penelope sighed in relief._

_“You make me so incredibly happy, Jojo,” the teenage witch smiled more at ease. “Happier than I thought possible to be honest. There’s no expectation on my end when it comes to that stuff. I thought I was making that clear by not pushing for anything. Being with you, I’m enjoying every moment. And I want you to feel the same way.”_

_“I do,” Josie said quickly. “When we’re together, everything’s fine and I never thought you were pressuring me to do anything. But then I wondered if there was a reason why weren’t trying to move things along more quickly. It sounds ridiculous now, I know.”_

_“Where is all of this coming from?” Penelope wondered and taking one look at Josie’s guilty expression, she knew the answer: Lizzie. “I don’t want you to think there’s something else going on, or something wrong with you for not being ready. That’s not what this is about, at all. There’s no rush.”_

_“Why do you always make me feel better, even when I think I’m being an issue?” Josie said affectionately, reaching for Penelope’s hand to interlace their fingers._

_“I think I know why,” Penelope responded just above a whisper, making Josie’s heart skip a beat. They exchanged looks and Josie wondered if her girlfriend was saying what she had been talking about with Hope earlier. Whether or not she was, Josie couldn’t hold it in any longer._

_“I love you,” Josie whispered, her heart bouncing in her chest, her eyes focusing on the lighter ones looking back at her with so much affection. Everything around them disappeared for a moment as she was expressing herself vulnerably, hoping her words would spark a positive reaction. Those three little words meant a lot to Josie. She had never said them to anyone outside of her family. Even with them, it was hard for her to do, for some reason. It held such meaning in her eyes that she wanted to reserve it for the right people._

_For the first time ever, Penelope seemed at a loss for words. It took her a moment to gather herself._

_“I love you, too,” Penelope finally reciprocated softly, releasing all of the tension in Josie’s body._

_The brunette felt tears welling in her eyes. She felt loved in a way that she had considered elusive for herself before. Her fears of getting hurt for investing too much disappeared. None of the outside voices mattered anymore. The only voice she heard was Penelope’s telling her she loved her echoing in her ear._

_-_

_Just like most Saturday nights, Josie was in Penelope’s room, spending time with her girlfriend. They had watched their favorite show together, but at some point, Penelope had fallen asleep. It was very unusual for the dark-haired girl to do so. But Josie didn’t mind at all. She simply closed the laptop and carefully placed it on the nightstand_

_Lying back down, she watched Penelope sleeping peacefully. Her facial features on display this closely, Josie smiled to herself marveling at her girlfriend’s beauty. It was oddly relaxing to watch Penelope slumber away._

_She looked younger with the intense hazel eyes covered behind the closed eyelids. They had always fascinated Josie. The way Penelope was able to express whatever she felt with one simple look was intriguing. But it was all the more terrifying when Penelope switched and seemingly drained all emotion from them. It felt vampire-like when they turned off their humanity. Josie hadn’t been on the receiving end of such coldness from Penelope, but she had seen it with other people. Always with good reason to protect herself or others, but it was a sign that she was also struggling with her own demons._

_“What...the hell,” Penelope’s groggy voice interrupted Josie’s thoughts, the hazel eyes slowly opening. “I can’t believe I fell asleep.”_

_“That’s okay,” Josie’s lips formed a smile, enamored by the sight of her sleepy girlfriend. With both of them lying on their sides, facing each other, Josie reached out and brushed some dark locks behind Penelope’s ear. She continued doing so, softly caressing the side of her head which was something Penelope usually did to her. Josie was happy to return the affection._

_“That feels nice,” Penelope mumbled dazed with sleep. “I wish you could stay the night.”_

_“Well, even if we got past my dad’s inspection, Lizzie would barge in and she would be harder to convince than my dad probably,” Josie acknowledged her family’s attitude but laughed mildly._

_“Then let’s sneak out and run away,” Penelope suggested jokingly, a grin on her face while her eyes were closed again._

_“Where would we go first?” Josie entertained the fantasy and kept stroking the older one’s hair._

_“Panama,” Penelope blurted out._

_“Why Panama?” The brunette asked, giggling and delighted by how silly they were being._

_“Because you could walk around in a bikini all day and I would enjoy that very much,” Penelope smirked. “Legs for days.”_

_“Penelope,” Josie felt her cheeks flushing but her smile was permanently plastered on her lips it seemed._

_“I’d even let you bring Lizzie with us. That’s how much I love you,” the raven-haired student responded genuinely._

_“I appreciate that,” the twin said sweetly. “Maybe she would find a hot Panamanian guy and we’d all live happily ever after.”_

_“Sounds like a plan,” Penelope laughed gently but then opened her eyes. Seeing the deep, brown eyes focus on her oozing with affection and love, she felt choked up for a moment. Josie’s love for Penelope was so pure and untarnished that it still took Penelope by surprise sometimes. Not because Josie was inexperienced; Penelope couldn’t care less about those things. It was a matter of the heart._

_Josie’s heart seemed fragile at times but that only made Penelope more careful. Although she wanted Josie to grow stronger, there was an undeniable appeal to how vulnerable the twin was. There was no pretense or ulterior motives involved. All Josie wanted was to be loved just as purely as she loved someone. The fact that she was usually given back very little bothered Penelope. At the same time, it made her want to give Josie everything and more. She couldn’t make up for other people, but she was willing to give every last bit of herself to make sure Josie felt appreciated._

_Silently looking into each other’s eyes, simultaneously pondering about their feelings for the other, the dark room solely illuminated by the pallid moon outside of the window was filling up with increasing emotion. Penelope was about to lean in for a kiss when she felt Josie’s hand drop from her hair and slowly trail down. The brown orbs followed the delicate fingers resting on Penelope’s neck before wandering further._

_Josie slowly unbuttoned the first button of Penelope’s blouse and the more experienced one felt just as unsavvy as Josie. In fact, Josie appeared to be more self-assured than expected. Her hands kept unbuttoning the blouse one by one. Penelope had never been in love before; not even something remotely close to it. So, this was uncharted territory for her as well. Her biggest fear was pressuring Josie into something, but the younger one was initiating which eased her concerns._

_Once all the buttons were undone, their eyes met again, and Penelope looked for reassurance. Josie’s smile was shy yet excited. Clearly, she was nervous but there was eagerness emanating from her end. Slowly tugging on Penelope’s blouse, Josie urged her girlfriend to take off the fabric which Penelope complied with. Exposing her upper body in only her bra, the dark-haired witch wasn’t self-conscious. Seeing Josie’s eyes fill with curiosity and longing was nearly too much to handle._

_Cupping Josie’s face with both of her hands, Penelope kissed her passionately. Josie’s hands were cautiously finding their way, stroking Penelope’s back and exploring all the newly exposed skin. Penelope’s desire was taking over. She had been very patient and unlike most people said, it wasn’t hard to do. She would never understand how respecting your partner’s boundaries in terms of intimacy was supposedly so difficult._

_But now that those boundaries were dissolving, her need for more was coming to the surface quickly. Her hands grasped the hem of Josie’s shirt, hastily taking it off and throwing it somewhere on the ground. Tilting her head to the side, she started kissing Josie’s neck, making the other girl sigh with pleasure and lie down fully. Penelope followed her motion and was now on top, biting down on the sensitive skin of her girlfriend’s neck. Hearing the laborious breathing of her girlfriend encouraged her to keep going._

_Her hand travelled down Josie’s body, stroking the long legs that were barely covered by the hiked-up skirt at this point. It wasn’t until she pulled back and met Josie’s eyes again that she took a moment to breathe. Josie looked as eager as before but the fear of pushing her beyond her limits crept up again. Both girls panting quietly, Josie put her hand on Penelope’s cheek, realizing there was something going on._

_“Are you okay?” Josie’s breathless voice asked._

_“Yeah,” Penelope swallowed the lump in her throat. “Are you sure…you want to do this?” Her need to make sure Josie was feeling the same way overpowered her lust._

_“If…you don’t want to…” Josie stuttered, thinking it was Penelope who had reservations about taking that next step._

_“I do!” Penelope replied, laughing gently because she felt like an idiot. “Damnit, I’m messing this up big time,” she shook her head but noticed the loving expression in Josie’s eyes that hadn’t changed at all. The twin was still smiling, apparently a lot less nervous than Penelope had anticipated._

_“I trust you, Penelope,” Josie spoke up softly. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me if that’s what you’re afraid of. If you’re not sure about this because something doesn’t feel right for you yet, then that’s okay. Just because you’re more experienced doesn’t mean that you’re obligated to be ready when I am.”_

_That last sentence really hit home for Penelope. Josie’s consideration for her feelings involved in this made her realize once more why she was head over heels in love with her. Josie didn’t care about Penelope’s reputation or what people assumed. The pressure was dissipating with every moment._

_“I want it to be perfect,” Penelope said just above a whisper, confessing to her own insecurity of not measuring up to Josie’s expectations._

_“I love you. And you love me. That’s all the perfection I need,” Josie breathed with such tenderness that Penelope’s heart swelled inside of her chest._

_Exchanging a little smile, they kissed and followed their feelings without overthinking it this time. The fact that they were able to talk about their fears and concerns in the most vulnerable situations proved that they were ready for a new level of not only emotional but physical intimacy…_

_Later that night, the two girls were cuddled up under the covers, their bodies still coming down from the high they had just experienced together. All the nerves going into it had been in vain. Josie’s head was comfortably resting on Penelope’s chest, taking it all in. She had never been so sure of anything in her life. And what had transpired as a result of it had been beyond her expectations. She felt safe and cared for every step of the way._

_“Are you okay?” Penelope’s voice appeared, making Josie smile._

_“More than okay,” Josie answered, lifting her head to look at her girlfriend. She felt Penelope’s hand stroking her cheek, tenderly tracing the facial features._

_“You know you’re never getting rid of me now, right?” Penelope chuckled._

_“I’d never want to get rid of you,” Josie responded joyfully._

_“Not after that,” Penelope replied with feigned arrogance, which prompted Josie to playfully slap the older student’s shoulder. Penelope laughed blissfully._

_“You’re stupid,” Josie rolled her eyes, clearly joking._

_“Don’t worry, Jojo,” Penelope said. “Even if you tried to get rid of me, I’d never leave you.”_

_Pulling Josie closer, they kissed for what seemed like the millionth time tonight. Penelope was convinced she’d uphold her promise to never leave Josie. It seemed unimaginable. How could she ever leave the person who was making her feel this fulfilled and happy. She meant it wholeheartedly – not knowing what was ahead of them._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: First of all, thank you for all the wonderful feedback! I have to say that I was quite surprised to find that many people reading it. Your comments truly made my day and inspired me to update as quickly as possible. I hope you enjoy this fluff filled with some angst. Not going to lie, the next one is going to hurt.  
> As always, feedback is appreciated, and I hope you have a lovely weekend.


	3. The Downfall & The Aftermath

_After Christmas Break, most students had returned to school, including Penelope and Josie. They had spent the past few weeks apart and couldn’t wait to reunite. Penelope had been with her mom, and the Saltzman twins had visited their mother as well. Once back together, the young couple was inseparable and took advantage of their time together._

_Whenever Josie was preoccupied with Lizzie though, and Penelope found herself in a rare state of boredom, she opened up the red journal hidden in one of her drawers. Right before Christmas Break, the dark-haired witch had given the students and staff pens as a gift. None of them knew that she had spelled them and that everything that was being written with them, ended up being copied into the journal in front of her._

_It was harmless entertainment, Penelope thought. The best way to find out the juiciest gossip and have one up on everyone else. She only had one rule: Not to read Josie’s entries. Although she had given Josie a pen in order for it not to be suspicious, she wasn’t willing to breach their trust in that manner. Therefore, she hadn’t read any of the entries made by her girlfriend. She didn’t extend the same courtesy to Josie’s family. Perhaps Penelope should have, because one entry of Dr. Saltzman ended up changing everything._

_As soon as Penelope read the words “The Merge”, she was intrigued. The headmaster was vague in his entry, but it was apparent that the Merge pertained to his twin daughters. He wrote that Caroline, the twins’ mom had reached another dead-end in trying to find a solution for it. Penelope’s interest was piqued. Her first instinct was to research but that didn’t lead her anywhere. Apparently, everything dealing with the Merge had been ripped out of books or was unavailable somehow._

_The only help Penelope really needed was her family. She was part of a very powerful coven herself, but she had never heard of the Merge. The more she found herself failing to get answers, the less she could focus on anything else. One day, she decided to call some of her family members to find out more. It took her a few tries until she found someone who was willing to share the full truth._

_Penelope froze. What was conveyed to her sounded…cruel. A curse that was laid upon the Gemini twins who had to fight to the death before their 22 nd birthday, meaning that only one would survive. Penelope felt sick after hearing it. Her entire world came tumbling down, realizing she had fallen in love with a girl who was most likely going to die in a few years. She spent the entire first night crying, fighting her first instinct to tell Josie everything. _

_She reasoned herself out of it. First off, it wasn’t her place to tell. There was a reason why Dr. Saltzman and Caroline were keeping it from their children. Probably the same reason why Penelope never told her mom about finding her father. Neither wanted to hurt the people they loved. If that meant deceiving them to a certain extent, Penelope understood that reasoning. Plus, Josie was already wary of the strained relationship between her sister and girlfriend. This could be the final nail in the coffin._

_Second of all, Penelope couldn’t stand the thought of altering Josie’s entire life before the twin was ready. There was some hope budding inside of the older student that her girlfriend would become powerful enough to survive the Merge. Actually, she was powerful enough already in Penelope’s opinion. However, there wasn’t a single scenario in which Penelope saw Josie not sacrificing herself for Lizzie._

_It was that thought that changed it all. Imagining the love of her life sacrificing her life in a way she had always done, was the breaking point. Penelope wanted to ignore it, but it became harder and harder. She was a master of disguising her emotions when she wanted, but deceiving Josie turned out to be the most difficult part; especially because Penelope felt incredibly guilty for a change._

_The most mundane days turned out to be a rollercoaster at times. It was a normal Tuesday, students going about their day and Penelope walked down the stairs with some of her friends. Noticing Josie sitting on one of the couches with MG, she approached the two of them._

_“Jojo, MG,” she greeted the two students and sat down on the table, crossing her legs. Josie smiled widely, leaned forward and didn’t hesitate to share a little kiss. They were very comfortable in public by now. “What are you guys doing?”_

_“Nothing really,” Josie shrugged her shoulders and closed the book in her hand. “It’s such a quiet day. It’s almost scary.”_

_“Speak for yourself,” MG interjected. “It’s never a boring day when Wally West is involved,” he continued, earning a confused look from both witches. “The Flash?”_

_“Right,” Penelope chuckled. “I forgot that your bar for entertainment stopped rising at age six.”_

_Josie couldn’t help but grin watching the two of them banter._

_“It’s not just entertainment, Peez,” the young vampire resumed seriously. “The purpose of superheroes goes way beyond that-“_

_“I’m sorry, MG. Did I give you the false impression that I was interested in your juvenile obsession with humans who have inferiority complexes?” Penelope shot back playfully._

_“You have no idea what you’re missing out on,” MG scoffed but saw Lizzie walking by, immediately getting up from the couch to follow the blonde twin without saying another word. Penelope simply shook her head, but then noticed her girlfriend scooting forward on the sofa._

_“If I’m doing nothing,” Josie said quietly, locking eyes with the hazel ones. “And you’re doing nothing. Why don’t we do nothing together,” the brunette suggested, and Penelope’s eyebrow kinked instantly. She understood what her girlfriend was proposing. That part of their relationship worked just as well as the rest of it and seeing Josie become more confident with her sexuality was rewarding to watch._

_They didn’t need to say anything else. Walking off hand in hand, Josie’s room was closest, and Lizzie had just gone downstairs. Using a spell, they locked the door before Penelope sat down on the edge of the bed. Josie straddled Penelope’s lap, their lips meeting in a longing kiss. With their bodies pressed up against each other, the shorter girl could feel every inch of Josie. Penelope grabbed the twin almost desperately._

_It was probably the worst time to think about it, but Penelope’s emotions took over. She couldn’t shut down the part of her that feared for Josie’s life. Grasping the fabric of Josie’s sweater, Penelope almost ripped it, trying to hold on as best as she could. Her throat felt like it was on fire, the sensation of tears welling up in her eyes all hit her at once._

_Her despair didn’t go unnoticed and Josie pulled away, sensing that something was wrong. Once she saw how distraught Penelope looked, Josie was alarmed._

_“What happened? Are you okay?” The concerned voice asked immediately._

_“Yeah, sure,” Penelope answered, her voice cracking midway, making her words even less believable._

_“You’re shaking,” Josie noticed the tremble in her girlfriend’s fingers. “What is it, Penelope? Let me help you,” despair took over._

_Seeing how much Josie cared only made things worse for Penelope. She was reminded that she couldn’t have this forever. Not unless something drastically changed. The first tear rolled down her cheek involuntarily. The big, brown eyes that Penelope wanted to drown in every time emanated so much warmth and affection, causing a few more tears to fall. She couldn’t recall crying in front of someone, ever._

_Josie wiped the tears without hesitation, kissing Penelope’s cheek afterwards. The pain and agony in Penelope’s hazel eyes was excruciating to see. Although she had no idea why, it was blatantly obvious Penelope was dealing with some heavy emotional turmoil. The brunette wanted to keep asking, but it was just as obvious that the other witch was too overwhelmed at the moment._

_“You guys should seriously stop,” Lizzie’s voice appeared out of seemingly nowhere, her siphoning powers breaking the locking spell._

_Penelope snapped. Gently pushing Josie off, the raven-haired witch stood up, the sadness replaced by sheer anger._

_“You should seriously shut up!” Penelope hissed, her voice cold and menacing._

_“Penelope!” Josie tried to interject._

_“Excuse me?” Lizzie’s blue eyes were wide in complete disbelief. “Oh, I’ve been waiting for this charade to drop for months. Are we finally going to see the real Penelope Park?” The twin tantalized._

_“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Penelope glared at the blonde, her mind taken over with rage and resentment, before she saw Josie stepping in front of her sister._

_“Penelope, please stop,” Josie pleaded, conflicted because the two people she loved most were about to hurt each other._

_It was that sight exactly that made Penelope even more upset. Just like she always suspected, Josie would protect her twin no matter what. As honorable as it was, Penelope couldn’t handle it in that moment. Not saying another word, she left._

_-_

_After their emotional meeting, Penelope had explained to Josie that she had received bad news but didn’t want to elaborate further. Not left with many options, Josie believed her girlfriend and didn’t pry. More weeks passed but the strain on Penelope became too much. She felt conflicted beyond belief. On the one hand, she couldn’t imagine being without Josie. On the other hand, it was torturous to be with someone, hold them, kiss them, love them while keeping such a monumental secret. It was starting to eat her alive._

_She was willing to withstand that emotional tornado if it paid off. But the more she thought about it, the less likely it appeared. Appeasing the relationship between Josie and Lizzie meant that nothing would change. Josie would most like sacrifice herself, unwilling to step into her own power._

_Penelope’s worst fear was becoming part of the reason why Josie stayed in the shadows; part of the reason why Josie would end up dying. No matter how much she didn’t want to let go, Penelope couldn’t live herself not trying everything in her power to help Josie become stronger – even if that meant burning the world they had built together down. Rebuilding it would take an immense amount of strength and Josie needed to see for herself that she had the capability to do it._

_Knocking on the twins’ door, Penelope was met with a familiar sight. Lizzie simply nodded in her direction and Penelope was glad the blonde was there. Josie would need the comfort afterwards. Additionally, if Lizzie witnessed what Penelope was about to do, the twin would make sure the couple would most likely never get back together. Knowing how strong their connection was, Penelope needed that kind of reinforcement to go through with it._

_“Hey,” Josie said with a soft smile, wearing her PJ’s and sitting on her bed._

_Penelope gulped. She had to take a very deep breath before sitting down next to Josie. The brunette leaned in, but Penelope turned away, signaling something was wrong._

_“What…is everything okay?” Josie asked quietly._

_“I think this relationship has run its course,” Penelope said, her voice desperately trying to sound firm._

_“Run…its course?” Josie repeated, completely bewildered. “What does that mean?”_

_“It means I’m done,” the slightly older girl stated cold-heartedly, promptly seeing the impact those words had on Josie._

_“What?” The brunette breathed. “Is this a joke?” She gasped in a state of utter shock._

_“No,” Penelope shook her head. “I don’t like wasting anyone’s time. Especially not my own. So I think it’s only fair not to string this along.”_

_“Fair?” Josie asked, her voice shaking, tears forming in the brown eyes. “To whom?!”_

_“Are you out of your mind, Penelope?” Lizzie interrupted._

_“Stay out of this, Lizzie,” the twin sister said quickly, unwilling to make this another fight between them. “Why are you doing this?” Josie asked Penelope with desperation in her voice, making Penelope look away. “No, look at me, Penelope. Tell me why.”_

_It was obvious that Josie sensed there was something going on behind Penelope’s calculated, cold persona she had put on. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Penelope had underestimated how hard it was to look into Josie’s pleading eyes and not tell her the truth. But she had to. Gathering all of her strength, Penelope looked up and met Josie’s gaze._

_“I don’t love you anymore,” Penelope lied, her voice shaking but steady enough to get it out._

_Josie nearly winced as soon as Penelope said those words; as if she had just been physically stabbed in the heart. You could see the actual moment, the brunette’s heart shattered right in front of Penelope. Inflicting that kind of pain made Penelope sick to her stomach. If she was being honest, she hadn’t expected this intense of a reaction. Realizing the damage she was doing, it wasn’t only Josie’s heart breaking in that moment._

_“You’re unbelievable,” Josie whispered, attempting to hold herself together. “I trusted you. You know that,” her voice cracked now, tears streaming down the flushed cheeks._

_“I don’t mean to hurt you,” Penelope said meekly, the guilt weighing heavy on her._

_“You’re just ripping my heart out for the fun of it then?” Josie asked._

_“It’s the only way I know how to…”, protect you, Penelope only added in her head._

_“How to what?” The twin pressed but saw the shorter witch shaking her head. “You’re a coward, Penelope,” Josie whispered, anger mixing into the blend of emotions running through her. “I never thought I would say this, but I should have listened to everyone who told me to stay away from you. Was this all an act then? One of your devious plans to see how far you could take it? How much you could hurt me? I just…can’t believe I was so stupid,” Josie’s voice grew more unsteady as she went on, ending in her completely breaking down in tears._

_“Get out! NOW!” Lizzie exclaimed, unable to watch this any longer and Penelope was grateful. The hazel eyes had begun to water and she was about to break, telling Josie everything before she stormed out of the room._

_Penelope debated going back to the twins’ room all night, but she couldn’t explain why she had been so harsh without revealing the whole truth. She tried to justify it in her head every single day from that point on. That breaking Josie’s heart was worth it, if it meant preparing her for all the cruel ways of the world that would inevitably break her heart as well._

_Some days that convincing would work better; other days, Penelope would find herself on the brink of telling Josie everything. The desire to make sure Josie would survive the Merge overshadowed everything though. To make things worse, Penelope tried to distract herself from it all, flipping through the pages of the magical diary. It was morning by now and she instantly recognized Josie’s handwriting. Breaking every promise possible, she broke another, reading what Josie had written a few hours ago._

**_‘Penelope just dumped me. I can’t use another word for it because it applies. She just threw me away like a used paper towel, dumping our whole relationship into the trash. I don’t know what to feel. It’s over. Just like that. She doesn’t love me anymore. That’s what she said. She probably never did. If you really loved someone, you wouldn’t treat them like this. Everyone was right. She played me and I have no one to blame but myself._ **

**_Here’s the worst part: even if it was fake, Penelope was the first person that made me feel seen, heard, understood…and even loved. That’s gone now. She took it away in a blink of an eye, making me feel more unseen, unheard, misunderstood and unloved than ever before. I’m never alone because I have Lizzie. But I’m still lonely at times. I’ve never felt as lonely as tonight. Now that I know what it feels like, I don’t know how to come back from being loved like that…even if it was a lie._ **

**_I hate her. I have to because I’m not supposed to love her anymore.‘_ **

_Even though it killed Penelope on the inside, Josie would live. At least that was what Penelope was hoping to get out it._

_-_

_Three weeks had gone by since that night of heartbreak. The former couple had been the topic of discussion ever since. Their breakup had spread like wildfire and only reinforced Penelope’s reputation as the most ruthless student walking the halls of the Salvatore School. It was quite the title, considering there were students who had done violent and gruesome things inside and outside of the school._

_Josie was slowly trying to recover. Thankfully, both girls had an unspoken agreement to avoid each other at any cost. As soon as class was over, the brunette was hiding in her room, unable to focus on anything other than getting over Penelope and the end of their relationship._

_Penelope on the other hand tried to take the opposite approach. She needed the distraction and surrounded herself with as many people as possible at all times. Every time she had a moment to herself, the image of Josie breaking down in tears in front of her popped up in her head. It was late, but she saw the bonfire outside and decided to take a little walk._

_It wasn’t until she reached the fire, that she noticed Josie sitting there. Penelope’s heart dropped. She couldn’t show any weakness. Putting on a brave face, it was too late to turn around because Josie had seen her as well._

_“Hey,” Penelope greeted carefully. “How are you?”_

_“Are you kidding me?” Josie scoffed and shook her head. “Do you suddenly care about how I feel?”_

_“I was just trying to make conversation,” the witch wearing her signature cape sighed._

_“And that’s all you have to say to me? There is a difference between breaking up with someone and ripping someone’s heart out to stomp on it.” The brunette got up and approached her ex-girlfriend. Penelope didn’t respond but simply looked away. “Silence. Great.” Josie continued, her anger bubbling up. “I don’t know if you’re not saying anything because you’re hiding something from me, or if you feel like I’m not even worth a response anymore.”_

_“That’s not what it is,” Penelope replied, recognizing the hurt in Josie’s voice._

_“Then what is it?” Josie asked softer now. “Because…I know it’s naïve and probably stupid, but I can’t believe that it was all a lie,” she admitted. “I don’t want to believe that I was this wrong about us. You never gave me a chance to fix whatever made you decide to break things off.”_

_“Things change,” the shorter of the two said vaguely._

_“There’s always a reason for change,” Josie argued gently, noticing vulnerability in the hazel eyes. Taking a step closer, it took all of her courage, but she needed to know. “What is the reason?”_

_Penelope was battling internally. Being this close to the person she still loved and cared for inevitably dropped her defenses. She was afraid to say anything, terrified of saying the wrong thing. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Josie more than she already had. Their breakup had been brutal enough._

_Suddenly, she felt warm, delicate fingers grazing her cheek, urging her to meet the brown eyes in front of her. Her heart was pounding at a dangerous rate, her instincts screaming to let it all happen. Josie looked at her with such affection and expectation, making Penelope’s heart cramp up in her chest. The twin stepped closer, leaning in. Although she knew it was wrong, Penelope closed her eyes and felt Josie’s lips softly pressing against hers._

_The feelings she had been bottling up, exploded the moment they kissed. They were overwhelming to the point where it almost hurt. Penelope pulled away just enough for their lips to disconnect._

_“Jojo, I can’t,” she whispered, desperate to regain control of her emotions. “Please don’t make this any harder than it already is.”_

_“If you really don’t love me anymore, why is it hard for you?” Josie questioned, hopeful that the dark-haired girl’s feelings were true after all._

_“Because I…” Penelope couldn’t focus enough to finish her sentence. “I can’t explain it.”_

_“Don’t I deserve an explanation?” Josie kept pressing the issue._

_“You deserve more than that, but I’m not the one who can give that to you,” Penelope said finally, taking a step back to put a stop to their connection resurfacing at a dangerously fast rate._

_There was disappointment in Josie’s eyes and defeat. She realized that she couldn’t salvage what she had hoped had been real. Even if it had been, Penelope was clearly unwilling to fight for it. And as much as it hurt to admit, she couldn’t force Penelope to love her any more than she could force herself not to love Penelope. She couldn’t handle the rejection she felt all over again and wasn’t going to embarrass herself once more by crying in front of her ex-girlfriend._

_Josie walked away, this time not looking back._

_-_

_It was an unusual event for the Salvatore students to go on a field trip. Most of them didn’t like leaving the school property because of the restrictions outside anyway. However, it was good practice and Emma, one of the teachers and mentors, had organized a historical scavenger hunt for her class all throughout Mystic Falls._

_Penelope looked around as Emma handed everyone the papers filled with questions they had to complete. Her eyes landed on Josie who was standing next to Lizzie and Hope Mikaelson. Ever since their break-up, the girls had used the past couple of months to heal. The aftermath of emotions had taken a toll on both of them. They were still avoiding each other, but it wasn’t a painful experience anymore every time they were around each other._

_The tricky thing about moving on was, that Penelope didn’t really want to. Seeing Josie all the time and not being able to express those lingering feelings had begun to plant seeds of regret. The older student didn’t want to admit it, but she missed Josie just as much as before. Now that the twin seemed to be in a better place, Penelope wondered if she had made the right choice._

_“You’ll be paired in teams and there is only one rule,” Emma explained. “No powers!”_

_Josie was the first student to pick a name from a box to reveal her partner. The brown eyes went wide before she sighed loudly._

_“Penelope Park.”_

_A murmur went through the students whereas Penelope couldn’t hide her little smile. The rest of the students coupled up and walked off in different directions. Slowly approaching her ex-girlfriend, the dark-haired teen spoke up first._

_“So, where do we start?”_

_“We can start by you doing whatever the hell you want, while I complete the questions,” Josie muttered annoyed. “I’ll see you in a few hours,” she said before starting to walk away._

_“Hey, I’m here. So, let me help,” Penelope offered, following the taller girl quickly._

_“I don’t need your help,” Josie argued immediately._

_“Fine, then I’ll just follow you around annoying the hell out of you,” Penelope replied, knowing that Josie wasn’t satisfied with that option._

_“We can divide the questions up,” the brunette suggested and stopped in her tracks. “You take the top and I’ll take the bottom.”_

_“Just like old times,” Penelope smirked teasingly. “Old habits die hard, huh?”_

_Josie’s cheeks immediately flushed in a pink color, locking her brown eyes with the hazel ones in disbelief._

_“I don’t know what has gotten into you today, but I’m not in the mood for it,” the siphon-witch tried to put a stop to Penelope’s playful banter._

_Penelope was about to add another remark like: ‘You used to be in the mood all the time.’ Seeing how flustered Josie was already, she decided against it, hoping not to rock the boat too much. It was progress for them to even be talking without a nagging sense of agony._

_“Come to think of it, I think I prefer you to do all the work and I’ll just tag along,” Penelope said, not wanting to divide the questions because they had to split up in that case._

_“Great,” Josie sighed and began walking again._

_“Are you going to be mad at me forever?” Penelope asked as casually as possible._

_“That’s the plan,” the twin answered matter-of-factly._

_“Maybe I could make it up to you by solving this entire, stupid scavenger hunt with just one spell,” Penelope offered, putting one of her hands on the paper._

_“Don’t you dare,” Josie grabbed Penelope’s wrist. “You heard Emma. No powers. I know you prefer deception, but I don’t. Either you do this my way, or we don’t do this at all.”_

_The determination in Josie’s voice and entire presence was a surprise. A good one. Penelope felt proud that the younger teen had built up some confidence. Perhaps her plan was working after all, Penelope wondered._

_“Okay, Jojo,” Penelope smiled. “I’ll let you top today.”_

_Josie rolled her eyes and walked away in hasty steps. With Penelope by her side, the two girls were a great team. They were able to outsmart most of the students and Josie was in a hurry to finish the quiz as quickly as possible. After completing most of the questions, Penelope realized their time together was nearing its end. Even if they weren’t talking much, it was good to be around Josie regardless._

_“I definitely wore the wrong shoes for this,” Penelope groaned. Her heels weren’t really bothering her, but she had to make up an excuse for Josie to slow down. “Why don’t we take a quick break.”_

_“Yeah, you do that,” the brunette attempted to ditch her ex-girlfriend._

_“Come on, just five minutes,” Penelope sighed. “All I need is some caffeine and to sit down for a few minutes. After that, I promise I’ll leave you alone and we’ll finish off strong.”_

_Reluctant at first, Josie agreed, and they headed to a little café where they had been on a date before. The memories were coming back but the twin suppressed them instantly. Sitting down at one of the tables outside, Penelope went inside to order. She came back with a tea for Josie, knowing her order. They sat together in silence, drinking their beverages before Penelope spoke up._

_“Listen, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier,” Penelope said genuinely, referring to her innuendo._

_“Whatever,” Josie mumbled, scanning the questions on the paper._

_“And I’m sorry for how I handled things with us at the end,” Penelope continued unexpectedly, making the other girl slowly look up. “I was unnecessarily harsh, and you didn’t deserve that. Especially not from me.”_

_The apology was long overdue, but it felt good to say it even if it was too little, too late. Josie looked like she was assessing whether or not the words were true. Her eyes focusing intently on the hazel ones, she cleared her throat, shaking off the feelings she didn’t want to resurface._

_“I would accept your apology,” Josie stated. “But that would require me to believe you have a heart.”_

_Penelope kept smiling, knowing it would take a lot more than an apology to make up for what she had done. At this point she wasn’t sure if it was possible. The fact that they were able to talk was a step in the right direction. What was the right direction, though? She couldn’t tell Josie about the Merge, so nothing had changed in that sense._

_Still, she couldn’t deny that she wanted Josie back more than she was willing to admit. In order for it to happen, the twin had to become stronger which was starting to happen apparently. It would be a slow process, but this was a start._

_“There you are!” Lizzie’s exclaimed behind them. “What is this?” She said confused as she saw the former couple sitting together._

_“Nothing, she had to take a little break,” Josie answered promptly._

_“For what? To come up with a new diabolical plan to destroy you?” The blonde sounded as angry as always, making Penelope sigh._

_“I reserve those plans only for you,” the hazel-eyed witch returned with a smile, unable to hold in a comeback._

_“You wish, devil child,” Lizzie insulted the other student, before grabbing Josie’s hand. “Come on, let’s go.”_

_Josie didn’t protest and got up from her seat. Watching the twin sisters walk off, Penelope knew there wasn’t anything she could do. It was best to let them go for now. Instigating another fight with Lizzie would only lead to more conflict between her and Josie. As much as she despised Lizzie for oppressing Josie, she was satisfied with how the day had transpired. Her hopes of pursuing another chance with her ex-girlfriend were slowly evolving._

_Those hopes were soon to be complicated a few days later. Landon and Rafael were new students at the Salvatore School. While Landon was a question mark, Rafael was a werewolf that had caught many people’s attention. Penelope read about Josie’s admission of crushing on said wolf in her journal. The theory of Josie moving on was one thing, the actual possibility of it happening was another._

_The witch had to kick her plans for Josie to become more independent into a new gear. Her first step was about to happen tonight. There was a party at the school and jealousy was a powerful tool. Considering how jealous Josie had been of her and Jed the last time they had attended the same party, Penelope had set her sights on a certain, young and impressionable vampire that also happened to be Josie’s friend._

_It wasn’t the most honest plan, but Penelope couldn’t be completely honest in this situation. At least that’s what she told herself. Her calculating tactics served a bigger purpose. And even if their relationship would end up being collateral damage in the end, and Penelope would be the bad guy in Josie’s eyes, she wasn’t going to give up on hope that Josie would survive past her 22 nd birthday._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is where the show actually starts off and I hope you enjoyed my take on Penelope and Josie’s past. It was a lot of fun to write, although this chapter is quite angsty. I’m debating writing another chapter but I’m not sure yet. I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Please note that I didn’t proofread so there might be a lot more mistakes.
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated and thank you for all the comments up until now. Have a lovely Sunday.


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